The DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority today released new data showing strong enrollment activity through DCHealthLink.com as of March 31st. Since the marketplace opened for business on October 1, DC Health Link has enrolled 40,234 people. This includes District residents who enrolled in private health plans and in Medicaid, as well as people with coverage through their employers. In the final week alone, more than 2,000 people enrolled through the individual and family marketplace -- accounting for over 21% of all individual enrollments in private coverage.
Enrollment
As of March 31, 2014, 40,234 people have enrolled through DC Health Link in private health plans or Medicaid:
- 9,838 people enrolled in private health plans through the DC Health Link individual and family marketplace;
- 17,489 people were determined eligible for Medicaid coverage through DC Health Link; and
- 12,907 people enrolled through the DC Health Link small business marketplace.
Open enrollment for individuals and families officially ended March 31, 2014; however, the DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority announced March 26th that it will continue DC Health Link enrollment past the March 31st deadline for individual and family coverage. Individuals who need in-person or telephone help will have through April 15th to enroll. People with an online account with DC Health Link who have not selected a health plan will also have through April 15th to enroll in a private health plan. One-on-one help can be obtained at these sites or by reaching out to DC Health Link Assisters or brokers – a list of which can be found here.
“We are proud of our efforts to enroll everyone who needs affordable, quality health coverage through DC Health Link,” said Diane C. Lewis, MPA, chair of the DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority Executive Board. “Our mission is to get everyone covered.”
The March 31st deadline does NOT apply to small businesses, individuals and families losing other coverage or those eligible for Medicaid. A complete list of circumstances that allow a person to enroll after open enrollment can be found here.
Demographic Information for People in Qualified Health Plans through the Individual Marketplace
Young residents continue to be the highest enrollment group in private individual coverage. The largest population enrolled in private coverage through the individual and family marketplace is 26 to 34 year olds who make up 39% of enrollees; the second highest is 35 to 44 year olds (21%).
Age of Enrollees in Qualified Health Plans – Individual Marketplace
(Does Not Include Medicaid and SHOP)
| Age | Number | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| <18 | 641 | 6% |
| 18-25 | 665 | 7% |
| 26-34 | 3,854 | 39% |
| 35-44 | 2,038 | 21% |
| 45-54 | 1,415 | 14% |
| 55-64 | 1,159 | 12% |
| 65+ | 66 | 1% |
Metal Level of Coverage Selected in Qualified Health Plans – Individual Marketplace
(Does Not Include SHOP)
| Metal Level | Covered Lives | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Catastrophic | 387 | 4% |
| Bronze | 2,870 | 29% |
| Silver | 2,469 | 25% |
| Gold | 2,163 | 22% |
| Platinum | 1,949 | 20% |
| Total | 9,838 | 100% |
Health Link Contact Center Data
Since October 1, 2013, the Contact Center received 86,011 calls. Generally the highest call volume is on Mondays and Tuesdays and the lowest call volume is on Saturdays. In March, the DC Health Link Contact Center (855-532-5465) extending its hours to include Sunday service. The call volume tripled from an average of 500 calls per day in early March to more than 1,600 daily the last week of the first open enrollment season with a high of 4,419 on March 31st.
DC Health Link Website Traffic
Since October 1, 2013, 62,079 individual accounts and 10,340 small business accounts have been created. In the same time period, DCHealthLink.com had more than 255,000 visitors. In the last week of March alone, 8,207 individual accounts were created.