Obamacare Year Two: Can NY Sustain Coverage Gains?
Friday, November 14, 2014
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A family gets information about healthcare at a
community health fair in the Bronx geared toward building health
knowledge among Bronxites.
(Natalie Fertig/WNYC)
Like its federal counterpart, New York's state-based health exchange all but shut down in the early days of last year's open enrollment period. But the website and the people behind it rallied, eventually signing up 960,000 people and significantly reducing the ranks of an estimated 2.2 million uninsured New Yorkers.
Roughly two-thirds of the newly covered qualified for Medicaid, and one-third qualified for private insurance plans. Within the second group, 75 percent are getting subsidies to make their premiums more affordable, including 60 percent who additionally get out-of-pocket expenses such as deductibles and co-pays discounted.
According to a new survey, conducted by Harris Polls for the New York State Health Foundation, 92 percent of those enrolled are somewhat or completely satisfied with their coverage. A similar percentage said they feel more peace of mind and are likely to re-enroll, and 78 percent said they now have more financial protection from big bills. Around 80 percent said it was very or somewhat easy to find doctors who accept their coverage. The poll, however, was relatively small, with only 250 participants and a 15 percent response rate.
New York sent re-enrollment notices to exchange enrollees in recent weeks. For those with private insurance plans, they list the premium and subsidy, and enrollees' personal income used to qualify for those payments. The three-page letters tell people that if their family status or income level has changed, they need to go online and make adjustments.
The rates for health plans in the exchange will be going up an average of almost 6 percent next year, and some price tags will be increasing more dramatically. Health Republic set its premiums especially low in the first year and was rewarded with a market-topping 20 percent of all New York enrollment. In Year Two, premiums for the new non-profit will spike 13 percent, the highest by far of any place in the state — but less than the 15 percent hike the company sought from state regulators.
The state hopes to enroll an additional 350,000 people for 2015.
Roughly two-thirds of the newly covered qualified for Medicaid, and one-third qualified for private insurance plans. Within the second group, 75 percent are getting subsidies to make their premiums more affordable, including 60 percent who additionally get out-of-pocket expenses such as deductibles and co-pays discounted.
According to a new survey, conducted by Harris Polls for the New York State Health Foundation, 92 percent of those enrolled are somewhat or completely satisfied with their coverage. A similar percentage said they feel more peace of mind and are likely to re-enroll, and 78 percent said they now have more financial protection from big bills. Around 80 percent said it was very or somewhat easy to find doctors who accept their coverage. The poll, however, was relatively small, with only 250 participants and a 15 percent response rate.
New York sent re-enrollment notices to exchange enrollees in recent weeks. For those with private insurance plans, they list the premium and subsidy, and enrollees' personal income used to qualify for those payments. The three-page letters tell people that if their family status or income level has changed, they need to go online and make adjustments.
The rates for health plans in the exchange will be going up an average of almost 6 percent next year, and some price tags will be increasing more dramatically. Health Republic set its premiums especially low in the first year and was rewarded with a market-topping 20 percent of all New York enrollment. In Year Two, premiums for the new non-profit will spike 13 percent, the highest by far of any place in the state — but less than the 15 percent hike the company sought from state regulators.
The state hopes to enroll an additional 350,000 people for 2015.
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Fred Mogul, Reporter, WNYC News
Fred Mogul has been covering healthcare and medicine for WNYC since 2002.
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