NASHCO Updates on Health Insurance CO-OPs Enrollment

More than 1 million people have enrolled in CO-OP health insurance plans, the National Alliance of State Health CO-OPs (NASHCO) reported.

In a release, the group noted that as of March 25th, CO-OPs boasted over 1 million effectuated members. While this number reflects the most recent ACA enrollment period, it remains fluid with ongoing off-marketplace and special enrollment. At the conclusion of the 2014 enrollment period, NASHCO reported CO-OPs had enrolled just over 400,000 members.

"Health insurance CO-OPs have built on their significant early progress, and the proof is in the large increase in the number of lives they are now covering," said Dr. Martin Hickey, Chair of NASHCO's Board and President and CEO of New Mexico Health Connections. "These numbers are further evidence that CO-OPs are making a real impact on the health insurance marketplaces in their states -- an impact that goes well beyond enrollment numbers. Indeed, health insurance CO-OPs are driving innovation, competition, and affordability across the country."

NASHCO said that for the second year in a row, average premium rates in states with CO-OPs are lower than those without CO-OPs. For 2015, an analysis of the second-lowest cost silver plans in major cities in each state found average premium rates in CO-OP states fell by 1.9 percent since 2014, while average premium rates in non- CO-OP states rose by 1.5 percent. The same analysis showed the average monthly premium difference between CO-OP and non-CO-OP states had increased to 12 percent.

A similar analysis from 2014 showed CO-OP states with 8-9 percent lower premiums than non-CO-OP states. These figures suggest that the competition created by the mere presence of a CO-OP is leading to lower premium rates, resulting in savings for premium holders and taxpayers alike.

The group reported that CO-OPs are also making a real impact on innovation -- another one of their intended purposes. CO-OPs are taking unique and individualized approaches to truly shake up the health insurance landscape. These include new payment models, the use of patient centered medical homes, and a real focus on combating behavioral health and chronic disease. Long before President Obama announced the goal of transitioning away from a fee-for-service model of health care payments, many CO-OPs have been experimenting with their own versions of outcome-based care.

The aggregate enrollment figure is based on data compiled from member CO-OPs by the National Alliance of State Health CO-OPs. Requests for specific CO-OP enrollment figures cannot be accommodated by NASHCO.

Based in Washington, DC, the National Alliance of State Health CO- OPs is the trade association for non-profit health insurance CO- OPs.

More information:

www.nashco.org

((Comments on this story may be sent to [email protected]))