Health Care Signups In Virginia Exceed Expectations
By Amy Jeter, The Virginian-Pilot | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
"Clearly there is a good-sized demand out there in the population for exchange coverage," said
As of the beginning of May, government officials said more than 216,300 Virginians had selected a health plan through the marketplaces. The state's projected enrollment was 134,800, according to an analysis by
That made
Executives with
"The enrollment exceeded our expectations," said
About a fifth of the people signing up for an
In states where eligibility was broadened for the government program, people with incomes between 100 and 138 percent of the federal poverty level could qualify for
Those enrollees joined other lower-income people in accepting government assistance to pay for plans through the health law.
Four out of five
Virginians will receive
Insurers don't have a breakdown of how many marketplace enrollees were previously uninsured, but the high number who qualify for government help gives an indication, Cindrich said: "People can afford coverage they couldn't previously afford," he said.
Other people gaining insurance are those with pre-existing conditions who no longer can be denied coverage or charged more because of their health.
More than 1,400 patients in the
Age and gender statistics also give insurance companies a sense of new members' health and how much medical care they'll need.
The plan also enrolled a slightly higher percentage of women than expected: 55 percent. Women generally use more health care services than men.
Anthem's age and demographic mix lined up with projections, said
Insurance companies must wait for claims to roll in before they'll know how well premium income balances medical costs.
Open enrollment for marketplace plans ran for six months, ending
That made it challenging for
Both Anthem and
The requests are consistent with those in the same market before the Affordable Care Act, they said.
Some factors related to the health law are expected to drive premiums up, including a planned reduction in government funding to counterbalance higher-cost individuals and claims.
Other sources behind premium increases are the same as in previous years, including the rising cost of care.
"The disappointing thing," Cindrich said, "is that the Affordable Care Act hasn't mitigated the cost of medical services."
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