Idaho: Over 103K QHP selections; up 9% year over year and an all-time record!

Now that I've brought everyone up to speed about my disappearing act, it's time to delve back into the ACA & healthcare developments of the past few weeks. There've been quite a few to talk about, but for now I'll just focus on updating the OE6 enrollment books a bit...starting with one of the two states which, until now, hasn't provided any 2019 enrollment data: Idaho.

According to this press release from December 28th, Your Health Idaho, their ACA exchange, not only surpassed last year's enrollment total of 94,507 QHP selections by over 9%, they managed to break their all-time enrollment record of 101,073 set back in 2016:

More than 103,000 Idahoans Enroll in Health Insurance for the 2019 Plan Year

Boise, Idaho- More than 103,154 Idahoans enrolled in health insurance coverage for the 2019 plan year during open enrollment held from Nov. 1 through Dec. 15, 2018, through Your Health Idaho, the state’s health insurance marketplace. This is the second highest number of enrollments Your Health Idaho has experienced since inception. Our enrollment numbers for 2019 grew by more than one percent with 83 percent of our customers renewing their plans, continuing to demonstrate the value Idahoans have found in having health insurance through the exchange.

I'm not sure where they're getting "second highest" from...according to the official CMS/ASPE reports, Idaho reported 76,061 in 2014, 97,079 in 2015, 101,073 in 2016, 100,082 in 2017 and 94,507 last year. Huh.

“We are excited it’s been another great year for Idaho’s health insurance enrollments. We attribute this success to Idahoans understanding the vital role the exchange plays and our ability to offer individuals and families a robust number of insurance plans with a variety of options in coverage. As well as nine out of ten customers being eligible for additional savings to help them lower monthly premiums through the use of a Tax Credit only offered by Your Health Idaho,” said Pat Kelly, executive director for Your Health Idaho.

This year, Your Health Idaho offered 293 health and dental plans on the exchange through its important partnerships with the Department of Insurance and seven carriers. Also, we worked closely with our network of more than 900 agents, brokers and enrollment counselors across the state who worked hard to help Idaho families and individuals for free to ensure they could navigate the complexities of health insurance and select a plan that was right for them and their budget.

“We appreciate the many efforts of our partners as we celebrate the success we’ve had in working together to ensure Idahoans know about Your Health Idaho and have access to the health insurance coverage they need in the coming year. We would especially like to thank the Department of Insurance, Department of Health and Welfare, our carrier partners, and GetInsured. It is because of these partnerships that we are able to remain one of the most successful marketplaces in the country,” said Kelly.

We look forward to servicing the tens of thousands of Idahoans who’ve enrolled in a health insurance plan for 2019 through Your Health Idaho. To learn more about Your Health Idaho visit Yourhealthidaho.org.

Once again: Marketing, outreach and support make a big difference. One would think CMS Administrator Seema Verma would understand that and apply it to the federal exchange as well, but apparently not.