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430,000 Pennsylvanians sign up for ACA so far
Larry Portzline//February 4, 2015//
Listen to this articleOf those consumers, 81 percent qualified for financial assistance to lower their monthly premiums, said HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell. As of December, 69 percent of Pennsylvania marketplace enrollees were able to obtain coverage for $100 or less.
Burwell noted that Pennsylvanians can choose from 15 issuers in 2015, up from 14 in 2014, with an average of 50 health plans available per county, up from 41 in 2014. Nationwide, nearly 7.5 million consumers selected a plan or were automatically re-enrolled through the HealthCare.gov platform as of Jan. 30, Burwell added.
“Time is running out,” she said. “Consumers should shop at HealthCare.gov for an affordable plan that fits their budget and health needs.”
Pittsburgh-based Highmark Inc. said today that its current enrollment for individuals who have purchased plans on the federal exchange totals more than 343,000, with about 269,000 members in Pennsylvania alone. As of Jan. 30, just over 171,200 Pennsylvanians had signed up through the HealthCare.gov website and about 98,000 through Highmark.
Despite “unprecedented marketplace challenges” in 2014, Highmark health plan membership remains strong across all segments, said company President Deborah Rice-Johnson.
“It’s a very dynamic environment no matter where you are in the country, but our enrollment numbers have remained steady,” she said.
She noted that the company has retained 90 percent of its membership in Central Pennsylvania “despite competitive challenges.”
Rice-Johnson explained that Highmark has retained 5.3 million members overall and remains the fourth-largest Blue plan in the country, as well as the largest health plan in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Delaware. Its commercial, senior and individual market segments are all “strong and stable,” she noted, adding that its lower-cost Community Blue program has emerged as a success story for the company, with an enrollment of 420,000 commercial and senior members.
Highmark will gain around 272,000 new members when it merges with Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania this year, said Rice-Johnson.
