Hawaii did not submit its Obamacare enrollment numbers in time for the release on Wednesday.
Hawaii just released its numbers, Pacific Business News reports, Hawaii Health Connector says only 257 have enrolled so far:
Only 257 individuals in Hawaii have enrolled in health-insurance plans through the Hawaii Health Connector as of Friday, a spokesman confirmed to Pacific Business News.That figure comes two days after the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services released an updated enrollment report that found only 106,185 Americans have selected health insurance plans through the online health insurance exchanges out of 846,184 completed applications.Hawaii was one of three states that did not submit enrollment numbers in time for that report. But the state did share in that report that there have been more than 1,750 completed applications, more than 2,370 individuals applying for coverage and 1,156 eligible to enroll….The Hawaii Health Connector held a meeting with its board of directors Friday afternoon that was aired live on the Hawaii Health Connector’s YouTube channel. Some concerns and suggestions mentioned at the beginning of the meeting included a complex, long application process averaging 40 minutes, as well as needed improvements to the website to improve navigation and make it more user-friendly.
The Honolulu Star further reports (emphasis added):
From Oct. 1 through Nov. 9, 1,605 applicants were deemed eligible to enroll on the Connector and 180 actually selected medical plans, Connector deputy executive director Eric Alborg said at a board meeting on Friday. But from Nov. 9 through today, an additional 77 signed up for health coverage, he said.In addition, 113 employers have submitted applications on the exchange, though no employees have selected a plan as of yet.”We wanted to provide the board of directors and public the most up-to-date figures,” he said….Hawaii was the last state in the nation to go live with health plans on the exchange after failing to launch at the start of open enrollment on Oct. 1. It did not go live until Oct. 15 due to software problems, which continue to plague the online marketplace….Between 25,000 and 30,000 Hawaii residents with individual plans and 140,000 people covered by small business policies had been notified their medical plans will be canceled or altered on Jan. 1.State Insurance Commissioner Gordon Ito said today that he is urging Hawaii health insurance companies to continue offering plans that were slated to be scrapped by the end of the year.
By contrast, 261 Congressmen voted for the Keep Your Health Plan Act, including 39 Democrats. Hawaii Democratic Reps. Colleen Hanabusa and Tulsi Gabbard voted No.
(Featured image via YouTube)
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