New ACA Enrollment Numbers Show Impressive Increase in Texas, But One Million Are Still Left Out
New Affordable Care Act enrollment numbers released today show 118,532 Texans have selected a health plan through the online Marketplace from October through the end of December, an impressive increase from about 14,000 last month. Of those Texans that selected a plan, 74 percent received financial help to pay for it, providing encouragement for the uninsured that financial assistance is available for many people at Healthcare.gov. More notable numbers include…
- 457,382 individual Texans applied for coverage with completed applications, revealing a high level of interest in Marketplace coverage;
- 390,658 Texans were determined eligible to enroll in a Marketplace plan, and 180,349 Texans were found eligible for financial assistance in the Marketplace. Many of the 210,000 Texans who are eligible to buy in the Marketplace, but ineligible for subsidies likely fall into the “coverage gap” created when Texas leaders refused federal funds to expand health care coverage through Medicaid to Texas adults below the poverty line;
- 47,177 Texans were assessed eligible Medicaid/CHIP by the Marketplace (a number that would be much higher with Medicaid expansion);
- 55 percent of Texans who chose a health plan are women; and
- 26 percent are between the ages of 18 and 34. Young adults are enrolling in the Marketplace, and previous experience from Massachusetts indicates that enrollment by this age group will increase as we near the March 31 enrollment deadline.
These numbers prove that the law and its website are working–more Texans are able to apply for and select health plans that fit their budgets. (Read about our intern’s experience enrolling in a Marketplace plan). People can enroll in the Marketplace through March 31, 2014.
Still, one million poor Texas adults are left without affordable options because Texas’ elected leaders refuse to accept federal funds to expand Medicaid, leaving many without coverage and hurting the Texas economy.
Written by Stacey Pogue, Center for Public Policy Priorities. Cross-posted from the Better Texas blog.