I've done my best to label every state/territory, which obviously isn't easy to do for most of them given how tangled it gets in the middle. For cases per capita, the most obvious point is that New York and New Jersey, which towered over every other state last spring, are now utterly dwarfed by North & South Dakota, although things are getting pretty horrible everywhere now.
North Dakota has broken 12.5% of the entire population having tested positive, or over 1 out of every 8 residents.
South Dakota is up to 11.9%, or more than 1 out of every 9 residents.
Utah, Rhode Island and Tennessee are up to 1 out of every 10 residents having tested positive.
38 states have seen at least 1 out of every 15 residents test positive.
EVERY state except New Hampshire, Washington, Oregon, Maine, Hawaii & Vermont (along with all 6 U.S. territories) have now surpassed 1 out of every 20 residents having tested positive.
Navigators play a vital role in helping consumers prepare applications to establish eligibility and enroll in coverage through the Marketplaces and potentially qualify for an insurance affordability programs. They also provide outreach and education to raise awareness about the Marketplace, and refer consumers to health insurance ombudsman and consumer assistance programs when necessary. Navigators are funded through federal grant funds and must complete comprehensive federal Navigator training, criminal background checks, and state training and registration (when applicable), prior to assisting consumers.
Nevada’s State Based Exchange enrolls nearly 82,000 Nevadans during Open Enrollment Period for 2021 coverage
Enrollment exceeds 2019 figures by nearly 6 percent
(CARSON CITY, NV) – The Silver State Health Insurance Exchange (Exchange), Nevada’s state agency that helps individuals get connected to budget-appropriate health coverage through the online marketplace, Nevada Health Link, enrolled 81,903 Nevadans during the 2020 health insurance Open Enrollment Period, connecting tens of thousands of Nevadans statewide to Affordable Care Act (ACA) compliant health plans. These enrollment figures exceed 2019’s enrollment figures by 4,493 – a 5.8 percent increase.
January 22, 2021 – The Massachusetts Health Connector announced today it is continuing Open Enrollment until March 23, providing additional time for state residents to access affordable, quality health insurance, particularly those hurt by the economic impacts of COVID-19.
With Massachusetts just having become the 3rd state where COVID-19 has killed more than 1 out of 500 residents, this isn't surprising (New York announced an Open Enrollment extension thru the end of March yesterday; New Jersey is still set to end theirs as of January 31st as of this writing Maryland, where COVID has "only" killed 1 out of 900, is extending theirs thru March 15th).
With Open Enrollment ongoing, Massachusetts residents who do not have health insurance have a new opportunity to get coverage through the Health Connector. This includes commercial plans through the ConnectorCare program, which provides help paying monthly premiums, and also offers low co-pays and no deductibles.
Back in November I noted that enrollment in Medicaid via ACA expansion has increased dramatically here in Michigan since the COVID-19 pandemic struck, increasing by 23% from 673,000 in February 2020 to 829,000 in November.
Today the Michigan Dept. of Insurance & Financial Services just issued the following press release:
More than 1 Million Michiganders Obtained 2021 Health Coverage from the Health Insurance Marketplace and the Healthy Michigan Plan
(LANSING, MICH) After an extensive joint outreach campaign by the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), more than 1 million Michiganders obtained health coverage for 2021 during the Health Insurance Marketplace open enrollment period or through the state’s expanded Medicaid program.
Joseph R. Biden took office yesterday at around 11:50am (around 10 minutes ahead of the noon, I should note...I don't know if that's typical or if it was done slightly early for security reasons).
According to Worldometers, as of 1/20/21, the 50 United States & 6 U.S. Territories had officially reported 415,905 cumulative COVID-19 deaths since the first official case was reported exactly one year earlier. According to the COVID Tracking Project, the official U.S. death toll is at 398,000 people. Johns Hopkins University puts it at 408,000, and the CDC put it at just over 400,000. If you average these out, the Trump Administration concluded with around 405,000 officially diagnosed COVID-19 deaths.
Not entirely unexpected, though I'm pretty irritated that they still haven't released any enrollment data to date. Via NY State of Health:
Press Release: Governor Cuomo Press Release: As Part of New York’s Ongoing Response to the COVID-19 Panedmic, Governor Cuomo Announces Open Enrollment for New Yorkers Extended Through March 31
Amid Global Pandemic, High-Quality Health Insurance More Important Than Ever
As part of New York's ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that the Open Enrollment Period for uninsured New Yorkers will be extended through March 31, 2021. New Yorkers can apply for coverage through NY State of Health, New York's Official Health Plan Marketplace, or directly through insurers.
Access Health CT, Connecticut's state-based ACA exchange, has updated their enrollment summary and now reports 104,946 residents have selected policies for 2021, including 19,056 new enrollees.
Last year they had a total of 107,833 QHP selections during Open Enrollment, so they end the 2021 Open Enrollment Period down 2.7% year over year.
There's no formal press release, so this total might not be official but it should be pretty close.
UPDATE: I've been sent the full powerpoint slideshow from Access Health CT's monthly board meeting, which is chock full of the details; I've pulled the most important ones:
Nearly 180,000 Coloradans Signed Up for Health Insurance through the Marketplace
DENVER – 179,661 Coloradans signed up for a health insurance plan by the end of the Open Enrollment period, according to preliminary data released today by Connect for Health Colorado®. This is about 8 percent above last year’s end of Open Enrollment total. 69% of the customers who enrolled in a 2021 plan qualified for financial help to reduce their monthly premium.
“I’m pleased that so many people took advantage of this year’s enrollment period,” said Chief Executive Officer Kevin Patterson. “It’s essential that we all have health coverage in place to protect ourselves and our families this year.”
Outside of the Open Enrollment period, Coloradans can still sign up for a health insurance plan through the Marketplace if they experience a Qualified Life Event, like losing job-based insurance, losing Health First Colorado (Medicaid) coverage or due to certain family and income changes. Residents can continue to get help signing up for coverage from certified Brokers and community-based Assisters.
Before November 8th, 2016, I was secretly planning on shutting down (or at least mothballing) ACA Signups as soon as the 4th Open Enrollment period was over. Traffic had been gradually dropping off as people got used to the ACA & it started to fade from the headlines. My official day job as a website developer had suffered. What was supposed to have been a 6-month hobby in my spare time had turned into a full-time job, and I had lost web clients along the way. I figured it would be time to wind down ACA Signups & refocus on my web business.
nstead...well, you know what happened. On November 9th, 2016, I changed the header to this graphic, assuming that the ACA was doomed. I even registered ACASignoffs.net and redirected it to the site. I intended to keep the revised header up for 24 hours as a symbolic gesture.
