CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Saturday is the deadline for health insurance enrollments on West Virginia’s exchange created in the Affordable Care Act and enrollment numbers are down from last year so far, according to the latest available numbers.
As of the end of last week on Dec. 8, Week No. 6, information from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services showed 10,199 people from West Virginia had enrolled for health insurance plans at healthcare.gov compared with 13,257 during the same time period in 2017.
However, this week, Week No. 7, is when policies that automatically renew without changes will be counted.
That may mean an enrollment rebound is on the way.
During Week No. 7 last year, Ellen Potter, health policy director for the West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner, noted 14,907 enrollments were completed in West Virginia which was more than during the entirety of the previous six weeks.
In all this year, 27,000 West Virginians total have been enrolled in health insurance plans from West Virginia’s exchange with more than 85 percent of those enrollees receiving subsidies in some amount to help with the costs of premiums.
On Friday, Chantal Fields, executive director for West Virginians for Affordable Health Care, had her fingers crossed for 2019.
“We’re just worried that enough people have not heard that the open enrollment period was happening,” she said.
“If you don’t do it now, it’ll be another year before you’re eligible for open enrollment again.”
The enrollment period opened on Nov. 1.
For a 6th year at healthcare.gov, the marketplace has offered health insurance to people without other health insurance options like private employer plans or the government programs of Medicare and Medicaid.
On the exchange statewide was Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield while CareSource expanded to 35 western West Virginia counties.
This is the first enrollment period since Congress removed the tax penalties for people who don’t have health insurance.
Additionally, funding for outreach has been cut.
To counter that, “Nonprofits like West Virginians for Affordable Health Care and some others have done their best to get the word out. We’re just concerned that it may not have been enough,” Fields said.
Navigators are available across the Mountain State to assist with enrollment at no charge for coverage to begin on Jan. 1, 2019.
More information on that is available at wvnavigator.com and wvahc.org or by calling 1-844-WV-CARES. Appointments can made for phone or in-person consultations in local communities.
Help can also be found at many local health centers.
As the deadline approached, CMS officials reported an increase in traffic at healthcare.gov and via the exchange call center at 1-800-318-2596.
As was the case in recent years, due to increased volume there could be instances when those calling the Marketplace Call Center before and on Saturday will be asked to leave contact information and have permission to enroll in a plan after the Dec. 15 deadline.
“This will allow those consumers to come back and complete their enrollment for Jan. 1 coverage,” a spokesperson said.