Massachusetts: 4,027 QHPs thru 11/07 (1,477 actively enrolled for 2016)

Massachusetts' #OE3 enrollment numbers have to be handled a little carefully. Unlike most exchanges which mainly report the number of Qualified Health Plan (QHP) selections (ie, placed in cart & checked out), the Massachusetts Health Connector is very careful to specify how many of those are actually entered into the system and have paid their first monthly premium.

With that in mind, their first 2016 Open Enrollment update report states the following:

In the first week of Open Enrollment (November 1st through 7th)*, new member activity in the system included:

  • 2,111 new applications created
    • 1,282 were determined eligible for Health Connector coverage
    • 452 are eligible for ConnectorCare
    • 136 are eligible for a Qualified Health Plan (QHP) with Advance Premium Tax Credits
    • 694 are eligible for an unsubsidized QHP
  • As of November 9th**, 14 new members had enrolled in 2016 QHP coverage
  • Renewing members were also active in the system:
  • 2,745 selected a 2016 plan and checked out
  • As of November 9th**, 1,463 renewing members had enrolled in coverage for 2016

*Totals are for individuals who had started a new 2016 application on or before 11/7. Metrics for the reporting period were generated on 11/10, and may thus reflect subsequent activity made to their accounts.

**The first 2016 enrollments were captured in reporting through 11/9, accounting for activity on 11/8 and 11/9.

"ConnectorCare" actually does count as a "QHP" as far as the HHS Dept. is concerned; it just includes some additional state-specific financial aid.

Therefore, if I'm reading this correctly, it's saying that as of 11/07, there were:

  • 1,282 new QHP selections, of which 14 are actively enrolled (paid) already, plus
  • 2,745 current QHP selections, of which 1,463 are actively enrolled (paid) already, or
  • 4,027 total QHP selections, of which 1,477 are actively enrolled already.

Again, for some perspective:

  • During #OE2, Massachusetts had 140,540 QHP selections out of 11,688,074 total, or 1.2%
  • If that ratio is holding steady this year, 4,027 QHPs in the first 7 days suggests ust 335.5K nationally in the first week...but that's almost certain to be more than double that (around 720K), so Massachusetts is lagging behind the average for the first week.

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