BeWellnm announces successful open enrollment period

BeWellnm, the New Mexico Health Insurance Exchange, announced the close of a successful 2023 open enrollment period, which saw an enrollment increase of over 22.6 percent - or more than 7, 500 additional enrollees - compared to the prior year.

This enrollment growth is significantly higher than national averages during the 2023 open enrollment period, ac- cording to a news release. With a greater emphasis on low-and no-cost options during the 2023 open enrollment period, 37 percent of all plan selections now cost less than $10 per month.

"The successful 2023 open enrollment period was the byproduct of operational and technological stabilization, and the dedicated staff at beWellnm. The leadership of our new CEO, Bruce Gilbert, and interim leadership from GetInsured set the table for stability and growth," said beWellnm board Chair David Shaw.

Thanks to operational, training, and technological improvements, beWellnm consumers were able to easily get online, compare affordable health insurance options, and enroll in high quality coverage - at record-high rates, the release stated. New Mexicans who contacted the beWellnm Customer Engagement Center were able to resolve their questions on the first call, resulting in a dramatic 70 percent decrease in call volume from the previous open enrollment. The 2023 open enrollment saw over 28, 000 calls handled during the 11-week open enrollment period - with record-low average wait times of under 20 seconds contributing to the enrollment increase. BeWellnm's web presence also contributed to the successful 2023 open enrollment period. Streamlined technology resulted in a 6 percent reduction in web sessions needed per user.

"On behalf of the staff and board of beWellnm, I am proud to report the successful close of the 2023 open enrollment. The mission of beWellnm is to provide New Mexicans with lowor no-cost options for health insurance, and our rates of increase show that the needed technological and operational upgrades are working," said Gilbert, CEO of beWellnm.

In 2022, beWellnm contracted with GetInsured, the nation's leading provider of health insurance exchange technology and customer service solutions for health and human services agencies, to provide consultative and operational support during the period of transition, according to the release. GetInsured provided temporary, interim operational leadership for a 10-month period in the lead-up to the hiring of Gilbert as beWellnm's new CEO.

"GetInsured was proud to support beWellnm during its leadership transition and throughout open enrollment," said Heather Korbulic, senior policy and strategy lead for GetInsured. "Our goal last year was to ensure beWellnm was successful in enrolling uninsured New Mexicans in affordable, comprehensive health insurance. The numbers released today prove that to be the case."

The beWellnm open enrollment period for Plan Year 2023 began Nov. 1, 2022, and closed on Jan. 15, 2023. BeWellnm is a marketplace where tens of thousands of New Mexicans can get low-cost or no-cost health insurance, the release stated. This year, many New Mexicans saw lower monthly payments, reduced co-pays and lower deductibles on beWell nm.com.