Good grief. I have no idea how I missed this legislation. I had read about and even written about it several times over the past several years, but I sort of lost track of it since the COVID pandemic hit.
Back in 2016, California passed a bill which extened eligibility for Medi-Cal (California's brand name for Medicaid) to around 170,000 undocumented children statewide...although this ultimately ended up resulting in around 250,000 children being added to the roles.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has been a bit odd when it comes to announcing new states joining the 12-month postpartum Medicaid coverage approval. Sometimes they issue a fully-detailed press release, as they did with Missouri a month ago; other times, like today, they just sort of throw a quick mention into a larger "roundup" post:
CMS Approves Postpartum Coverage Extensions for Nebraska & Mississippi
Friday is the last day for Virginia residents to apply for health care coverage that starts on January 1, 2024.
Any healthcare coveragesecured after December 15 and before Open Enrollment ends on January 15 will begin on February 1, 2024.
The Virginia Insurance Marketplace reminds Virginians to apply now for 2024.
After the Open Enrollment period ends January 15, Virginians experiencing a Qualifying Life Event such as having a baby or losing health insurance coverage may be eligible to enroll during a Special Enrollment Period.
Virginia’s Insurance Marketplace replaced HealthCare.gov for all Virginians and launched on November 1, 2023. Marketplace provides a wealth of resources for residents to find affordable health care coverage. Hundreds of thousands of Virginians have accessed the Marketplace this Open Enrollment Period to find coverage that meets their needs.
BeWell NM, New Mexico's state-based ACA exchange, has launched a very handy new Enrollment Data portal which includes plenty of info for a data hound like myself to pore over. The initial 2024 Open Enrollment Period numbers are impressive...but also a bit misleading if you don't know how the exchange enters data.
First, the top line numbers (as of 12/14/23):
Number of enrolled consumers: 50,442
Consumers enrolled in Medical coverage: 49,765
Consumers enrolled in Dental coverage: 12,321
While dental coverage is also important, standalone dental plans aren't considered Qualified Health Plans (QHPs); it's the "Medical Coverage" which is the key number here.
Also, the total number above may look confusing, but most of the Medical & Dental coverage enrollees overlap:
Medical Only: 38,121
Dental Only: 677
Medical + Dental: 11,644
For comparison, last year BeWell NM reported enrolling just 37,056 peple (including auto-renewals) through December 17th.
Completed applications/redeterminations processed through the integrated eligibility system: 37,734
It's my understanding that "Acquisition Summary" refers to CT residents who are brand-new enrollees (never enrolled via the exchange before).
The 117.5K figure includes auto-renewals being piled on top of the new/active renewal tally.
By comparison, last year Access Health CT reported enrolling 101,793 people through December 15th (one extra day since Nov. 1st fell on a Tuesday last year); this also included auto-renewals:
2023: 101,793 in 45 days (2,262/day)
2024: 117,516 in 44 days (2,671/day)
In other words, Connect's ACA exchange has enrolled 18% more people per day so far.
Friday is the last day to enroll to ensure coverage for January 2024
Belgrade, MAINE – During a visit to Belgrade Regional Health Center today, Governor Mills reminded Maine residents who lack affordable health coverage that Friday, December 15, 2023, is the deadline to sign up through CoverME.gov, Maine’s health insurance marketplace, for an affordable health plan that starts at the beginning of the new year.
The Governor urged Maine people to act to prevent gaps in coverage that could result in barriers to health care or unaffordable bills. Maine people who sign up by 11:59 p.m. Friday will have coverage effective on January 1, 2024.
Consumers who enroll after Friday’s deadline will miss coverage for January 2024 but – if they sign up by January 16 – will qualify for health insurance that takes effect on February 1, 2024.
U.S. health care spending grew 4.1% to reach $4.5 trillion in 2022, faster than the increase of 3.2% in 2021, but much slower than the rate of 10.6% in 2020. The growth in 2022 reflected strong growth in Medicaid and private health insurance spending that was somewhat offset by continued declines in supplemental funding by the federal government associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Assuming the U.S. population is ~335 million, that averages out to around $13,432 apiece.
In 2022, the insured share of the population reached 92% (a historic high).Private health insurance enrollment increased by 2.9 million individuals and Medicaid enrollment increased by 6.1 million individuals. In 2022, 26.6 million individuals were uninsured, down from 28.5 million in 2021 (a difference of 1.9 million individuals).
The Supreme Court issued a decision on Friday evening that maintained the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of a commonly used abortion pill while an appeal moves forward, the latest development in a fast-moving legal battle that followed a lower court’s ruling that ordered the drug pulled off the market.
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. had paused the lower court’s ruling on the pill, mifepristone, but that freeze had been set to expire at midnight. The justices issued their decision about five hours before the deadline.
Apply by Dec. 15 to have insurance starting Jan. 1, or by Jan. 15 for a health plan beginning Feb. 1
Washingtonians who need health insurance coverage for 2024 can shop for plans and may gain access to federal and state subsidies on wahealthplanfinder.org, now through Jan. 15.
People who pick a plan before midnight on Dec. 15 will have coverage starting on Jan. 1, 2024.
OLYMPIA, Wash. – The deadline to enroll in a 2024 health plan through Washington Healthplanfinder with a Jan. 1 start date is approaching fast. All Washingtonians, regardless of immigration status, can visit waheathplanfinder.org by midnight on Dec. 15 to shop, compare and sign-up for a health or dental plan for 2024. Help through the Customer Support Center will be available from 7:30 a.m. to midnight on Dec. 15.
Indianapolis – The Indiana Department of Insurance is issuing a warning to Hoosiers seeking health insurance coverage through the Federal Marketplace. The department advises caution regarding websites offering rewards like debit or cash cards in exchange for signing up through them. These “lead generating” websites collect users’ personal information and may provide inaccurate information about insurance coverage. The department urges Indiana residents to exercise skepticism regarding third-party websites promoting marketplace health plans and incentives.
“Consumers should verify information directly through official marketplace resources before entering any personal details or selecting a plan,” stated Alexandria Peck, Indiana Department of Insurance Chief Deputy Commissioner of Compliance. If you suspect fraud, contact the Indiana Attorney General’s office.
