Low-Cost Plans Took Effect Jan. 1
The NY State of Health, the state’s official health plan marketplace, reported that, as of 9 a.m. last Tuesday, Dec. 24, 421,949 New Yorkers have completed their applications and 188,546 people have enrolled for coverage which started on Jan. 1.
The number of enrolled New Yorkers increased by 53,924 since the Dec. 16 total of 134,622. New Yorkers have until Mar. 31 to enroll, and the first round of coverage began on New Year’s Day.
To be covered on Jan. 1, 2014, New Yorkers had to enroll by 11:55 p.m. last Tuesday.
Thousands of New Yorkers enroll each day through the Marketplace, and people who purchase their coverage directly are seeing premium rates that are 53 percent lower than the rates in effect in 2013 for comparable coverage.
To further reduce costs, NY State of Health is making available financial assistance in the form of federal tax credits to help reduce the monthly cost of coverage. New York is on track to reach its enrollment goal of 1.1 million people by the end of 2016.
NY State of Health Customer Service Center representatives have answered more than 340,000 calls since the Oct. 1 launch of the Marketplace, and the volume is high as the December 23 deadline to purchase coverage for January 1, 2014 approaches. Over 5,000 specially trained and certified assistors are available in counties throughout the state to help people apply in person.
The rates for the health plans NY State of Health represent a 53 percent reduction compared to the previous year’s individual rates. In addition to this cost-savings, it is estimated that nearly three-quarters of individual enrollees will qualify for financial assistance.
New Yorkers can access available plans, estimated costs, and financial assistance (for their county) by using the Tax Credit and Premium Estimator at https://info. nystateofhealth.ny.gov/premiumEsti mator.
Plans offered on NY State of Health are available in four easy-tocompare metal tiers (platinum, gold, silver, and bronze) from 16 qualified insurers and 10 qualified dental insurers. New Yorkers can see plans available in their area at https://info.nystateofhealth.ny.gov/Pla nsMap
The Small Business Marketplace offers small businesses with 50 or fewer employees a range of flexible options to meet their needs. Small businesses can access expert advice and enroll on NYSOH either online at https://nystateofhealth.ny.gov /employer, by calling toll-free at 1- 855-355-5777, or by contacting an insurance broker.
Individuals and families can get information and enroll in a plan either online at https://nystateofhealth.ny.gov/, by calling toll-free at 1-855-355-5777, or in-person through a navigator. A list of community navigators can be found by county on the website.
