Enrollment opens for 2020 state health plans

Nov. 21--State officials opened enrollment to all users of the NY State of Health insurance market on Saturday, with no cost increase in 2020 for most plans.

Among the products at nystateofhealth.ny.gov for which rates won't go up are Medicaid, Child Health Plus, Essential Plan and a majority of the private insurance options, dubbed "qualified health plans." New enrollees were permitted to begin joining health plans via the exchange starting earlier this month.

Locally, 102,007 Orange County residents get health insurance through the state marketplace, including 76,042 on Medicaid, 11,045 via Child Health Plus, 9,864 via the Essential Plan and 5,056 via other qualified health plans.

Those tallies are 39,126 in Ulster County (26,490 Medicaid, 4,316 CHP, 4,807 EP, 3,513 all QHP), and 22,170 in Sullivan County (17,274 Medicaid, 1,737 CHP, 2,097 EP, 1,062 all QHP).

Statewide, 4.8 million people, roughly a quarter of all New Yorkers, are currently enrolled via NY State of Health, and New York's uninsured tally has plummeted by 1 million since the marketplace debuted in 2013.

Last year, New York's uninsured rate fell to a record low of 4.7 percent, according to federal data.

"NY State of Health, the state's official Health Plan Marketplace, is more committed than ever to getting New Yorkers covered," said state DOH spokesman Jeffrey Hammond.

NY State of Health's Essential Plan is among the cheapest options on the market, with coverage for as low as $20 per month. But annual income is limited to $24,980 for an individual and $51,500 for a family of four.

The open enrollment period runs through Jan. 31, but consumers must enroll or renew coverage by Dec. 15 for it to start Jan 1.

Enrollment is year-round for some of the health plans for New York's lowest-income residents, including the Essential Plan, Medicaid and Child Health Plus.

daxelrod@th-record.com

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