Maine: CoverME.gov reports 59.7K QHP enrollees thru 12/12, down 7% y/y so far

Fri, 12/15/2023 - 9:34pm

via CoverME.gov, Maine's state-based ACA exchange:

Plan Selection Snapshot

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office of the Health Insurance Marketplace (OHIM) will release biweekly updates on plan selections through CoverME.gov, Maine’s Health Insurance Marketplace.

Plan selections provide a snapshot of activity by new and returning consumers who have selected a plan for 2024. “Plan selections” become “enrollments” once consumers have paid their first monthly premium to begin insurance. These numbers are subject to change as consumers may modify or cancel plans after their initial selection.

The deadline to select a plan for coverage beginning January 1, 2024 is December 15, 2023. Consumers who select a plan between December 16, 2023 and January 16, 2024 will have coverage beginning February 1, 2024.

CoverME.gov Activity Through December 12, 2023

59,696 Mainers have selected affordable health coverage for Plan Year 2024, which includes:

4,903 new consumers

15,117 returning consumers who have actively re-enrolled

39,676 consumers automatically re-enrolled

80% qualify for financial help

87,440 users have visited CoverME.gov

16,575 calls and 2,769 chats have been received by The Consumer Assistance Center

4,917 outbound calls have been made by The Consumer Assistance Center

25,842 people have used the Plan Compare Tool, which allows users to compare plans side-by-side with regard to plan features, benefits, provider networks, prescription drug coverage, and total out-of-pocket costs, including premiums, deductibles, and estimated costs for services

I can't do a true apples-to-apples comparison to last year at this point since the 59.7K figure includes auto-renewals from last year (there weren't any auto-renewals in fall 2022 because that was the first year Maine's state-based exchange was in operation). However, if I only include new and actively renewing enrollees, I get:

2024 OEP: 20,020 in 42 days, or 477/day
2023 OEP: 20,456 in 40 days, or 511/day

So, total new/active enrollment is down around 6.7% y/y so far, but total enrollment is at 94.2% of last year's final total.