32 THE COURIER SUN • HEALTH • AUGUST 6, 2015 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.couriersun.com New high for New York health marketplace BY THE QUEENS COURIER STAFF editorial@queenscourier.com/@QueensCourier More than 2.1 million New Yorkers were enrolled in a health plan through the NY State of Health (NYSOH) marketplace as of Feb. 28 of this year, the end of the open enrollment period. The data shows that enrollment through the marketplace health increased more than two-fold and more than 89 percent of enrollees reported being uninsured at the time of application. Reportedly, over 10 percent of the state’s population has secured health insurance through the marketplace. “Year two of NY State of Health was nothing short of an overwhelming success,” said NYSOH Executive Director Donna Frescatore. “We built upon our fi rst year’s solid foundation with signifi cant increases in enrollment and high satisfaction rates across the board. As we move closer to the third open enrollment period slated to begin on Nov. 1, this data will inform our efforts to reach more New Yorkers.” As compared to the fi rst open enrollment period, enrollment in Qualifi ed Health Plans (QHP), Medicaid and Child Health Plus increased in every county in the state, with 86 percent of those eligible to renew their QHP in 2015 doing so. The high renewal rate is indicative of the high level of satisfaction with the marketplace, as was similarly found in independent consumer surveys conducted by the NYS Health Foundation. In all, approximately 415,352 individuals obtained a qualifi ed health plan, while 1,568,345 persons received health insurance coverage through Medicaid. Another 159,716 minors were insured through Child Health Plus. Consistent with year one, nearly three-quarters of individuals and families enrolled in a qualifi ed health plan received fi nancial assistance to reduce the cost of their insurance. The average tax credit was $220 per month, up slightly from 2014. Overall, 89 percent of those enrolled as of Feb. 28, 2015, reported that they were uninsured when they applied for coverage through the marketplace, a 9 percentage point increase from 2014. Queens was among the leading counties in the state with the most enrolled individuals. Approximately 56 percent of NYSOH enrollees resided in the city. Enrollment remained nearly evenly split between males and females, with females comprising 52 percent of total enrollees. Across all programs, 36 percent of enrollees self-reported that they are white, non- Hispanic, 16 percent reported being black/African- American, 13 percent reported being Asian/Pacifi c Islander and seven percent reported race as “other.” Nearly one-third of applicants did not respond to the optional question about their race. All of the health insurers offering QHP coverage through NYSOH enrolled members into their plans. Nine health insurers enrolled 5 percent or more of total statewide qualifi ed health plan enrollees. The four insurers with the highest percentage of statewide enrollment are Fidelis Care (20 percent), Health Republic (19 percent), Healthfi rst (10 percent) and Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield (10 percent). The marketplace offers qualifi ed health plans at four different metal levels: Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze. Twelve percent of enrollees are enrolled in Platinum plans, 10 percent are in Gold plans, 58 percent are in Silver plans, 18 percent are in Bronze plans and two percent are in Catastrophic plans. Fifty-fi ve percent of enrollees are in health plans with no annual deductible or deductibles of $600 or less. The next open enrollment period begins on Nov. 1 for coverage starting on Jan. 1, 2016. Until that time, only those individuals and families who qualify for a Special Enrollment Period are able to enroll in a QHP. Special Enrollment Period qualifying events include getting married, gaining a dependent, losing employer insurance or permanently moving into New York State. During the next open enrollment period, NYSOH will add a new program called the Basic Health Program (BHP) to the suite of insurance coverage options available through the marketplace. The BHP, which will be called the “Essential Plan,” will provide comprehensive coverage to qualifi ed individuals based on income at even more affordable rates. New Yorkers eligible for Medicaid and all children can enroll in coverage through NYSOH at any time during the year. NYSOH’s SBM is also open for enrollment throughout the year. Individuals and families can get information and enroll in a plan either online at https://nystateofhealth. ny.gov/, by calling toll-free at 855-355-5777, or with in-person with a certifi ed assistor. Lists of inperson assistors can be found on the NYSOH website, http://info.nystateofhealth.ny.gov/fi ndassistor. 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