October health exchange enrollment released

OLYMPIA - Just over 500 Grant County residents signed up for health insurance through the state of Washington in October, according to data released by Washington Health Plan Finder on Nov. 15.

The statistics released indicated 522 Grant County residents signed up for coverage through the Washington Health Exchange during the first month, and 172 people in Adams County. Of Grant County enrollees, 379 enrolled in Medicaid, 33 bought plans where they qualified for a tax credit, and four bought plans without qualifying for a credit. In Adams County, 162 people enrolled in Medicaid, nine bought plans with tax credits and one person bought a plan without the tax credit.

Throughout central Washington, Benton County had 1,378 enrollees, Franklin County 175, Chelan County 764, Douglas County 355, and Okanogan County 447.

The trend in central Washington, where most of the people enrolling were eligible for Medicaid, also played out statewide. Of the 57,730 people statewide who enrolled in October, 51,379 of them enrolled in Medicaid.

Statewide, the largest number of enrollees has been children younger than 18 (13,152) and people ages 26 to 34 (10,006). Most people who purchased plans bought the middle-level (silver) plan, 4,038 or about 63 percent of the total. The silver plan covers about 70 percent of benefits, while the patient pays about 30 percent. The gold plan (80 percent paid by insurance, 20 percent by the patient) was purchased by about 20 percent of enrollees, and the bronze plan (60 percent paid by insurance, 40 percent by the patient) was selected by about 16 percent of enrollees.

As of the end of October, 21,000 people had completed an application, but hadn't made the first payment, explained Bethany Frey, public information officer for Washington Health Plan Finder. "We are going to see that number (people paying a premium) grow over time," she said. Enrollees have until Dec. 15 to make their first payment, Frey said.

Currently the ratio is heavily in favor of Medicaid patients, but Frey said state officials think it won't end up that way. "We're going to see that even out over the next several weeks," she said.

The state's goal is to have 130,000 premium-paying customers enrolled by Jan. 1, Frey said. That includes people who will receive subsidies and people who won't, she said. The exchange must be self-sufficient by 2015, and the goal is to have 280,000 premium-paying enrollees by the end of 2014, she said. She said state officials wouldn't speculate about what would happen if the exchange didn't reach the goals.