UPDATED: Colorado: 142.6K QHPs thru 1/15; 75% of target achieved

Here's Connect for Health Colorado's latest enrollment update:

DENVER — Between Nov.1 and Jan. 15, more than 190,000 Coloradans enrolled in health coverage for 2016, either in private health insurance purchased through the state health insurance Marketplace or in Medicaid, or Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+), according to new data released today by Connect for Health Colorado® and the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing.

“These enrollment figures show strong growth during this open enrollment period,” said Connect for Health Colorado® CEO Kevin Patterson.  “But we are now only days away from this year’s enrollment deadline for many. I strongly urge everyone who does not have health insurance provided through their employer to act right now to provide financial security for their families and to avoid a penalty that experts estimate will average nearly $1,000 per household. The final deadline for 2016 coverage for many Coloradans is Jan. 31.”

Since the Nov. 1 beginning of Open Enrollment 142,632 people enrolled in private health and dental care coverage through Connect for Health Colorado®.

In addition, the coverage gains include 45,100 in Medicaid and 2,771 in CHP+.

Open enrollment for this year ends Jan. 31. That will be the last chance for most Coloradans to sign up and protect their family budget with health insurance.

However, individuals and families who are shopping for new coverage because their health insurance company is no longer offering health plans in their area – or because they had a policy last year that no longer meets the minimum legal requirements – will be permitted to enroll in new coverage through Feb. 29  through a Special Enrollment Period. This includes individuals and families who purchased their 2015 health insurance on or off Connect for Health Colorado’s site.

Hmmm...the wording of the press release makes it sound like that 142,632 figure also includes some standalone dental plans; if so, I have to be careful that those haven't been double-counted. However, the table beneath the PR specifically states the number as "Private Insurance" so I guess it's accurate.

Colorado's prior update had them at 132,263 QHPs as of 12/31/15, so they added 10,369 more in the first 15 days of January (in time for February coverage). This also means that Colorado has finally broken 75% of my OE3 target for them of 190,000 QHPs...which would be more impressive except that I was expecting them to have hit around 155K by today.

In any event, they'll have to hit nearly 3,000 per day over the final 16 days of January in order to hit my original mark, although an unknown number (up to 39K or so?) of Coloradans may still be eligible to enroll during February due to the "lost coverage" SEP noted in the last paragraph above.

For comparison, C4HCO managed to enroll 85,617 people in QHPs between 11/30 - 12/15, or 5,351 per day during the mid-December rush (also a 16-day period), so 3K/day is absolutely doable.

UPDATE: Thanks to Louise Norris for the heads up; C4HCO has clarified that yes, the total includes standalone dental enrollments:

DENVER — Connect for Health Colorado® today issued additional information to clarify its enrollment totals in the current Open Enrollment Period.

Between the Nov. 1 beginning of Open Enrollment and January 15, 139,579 people enrolled in private health care coverage through Connect for Health Colorado® and 23,017 enrolled in dental coverage. Total enrollment for the period for both types of coverage is 142,632.  For the comparable date last year, 121,650 had enrolled in medical plans and 20,580 in dental coverage. Because many customers who buy health insurance also buy a separate dental plan, there is some overlap. Previously released enrollment totals for this open enrollment period also combined dental and medical enrollments.

Whoops! OK, so the actual QHP tally is about 3,000 lower than I thought; updating now...