Open enrollment for 2024 health plans is underway in Connecticut. Residents can sign up for health coverage on the state’s Affordable Care Act Exchange through Jan. 15.
For the enrollment period that began Nov. 1, 15% more people have signed up for qualified health plans so far this year, officials with Access Health CT said. As of Wednesday, 101,137 have enrolled, versus 88,086 at this point in 2022.
A total of 108,132 people enrolled in qualified plans on the exchange last year, officials said, and they expect to exceed that number this year.
“If we continue at this pace, and it looks like we will, it does seem like we’re going to be far ahead of where we were last year,” said Caroline Ruwet, director of marketing for Access Health CT.
As of Nov. 15, enrollment in the state’s Covered Connecticut plan, which extends free health insurance through the exchange to people and families with qualifying incomes, was up 94% over last year. The state has also seen a 32% increase in stand-alone dental plan enrollment.
Access Health officials attributed the increases to Medicaid “unwinding” — a federal pandemic policy that guaranteed Medicaid coverage to hundreds of thousands of Connecticut residents came to an end this year. Since April, there has been a 7% decrease in people signing up for Medicaid coverage compared with last year, Access Health reported.
“At the end of the day, what’s really important is that people have health care coverage, whether that’s Medicaid, a qualified health plan on the exchange, employer-sponsored health care or Medicare,” Ruwet said. “We’re happy to see that as people are coming off of Medicaid, if they’re no longer eligible, they are opting in and choosing coverage on the exchange.”
The enrollment increase comes even as the cost of many plans is set to rise next year. In September, state insurance officials approved increases on individual and group policies. Insurance carriers said they sought the rate hikes due to the rising cost of prescription drugs, increased demand for medical services and the impact of Medicaid unwinding, among other changes.
Here’s what to know about open enrollment.
For people who sign up by Dec. 15, coverage begins on Jan. 1. For those who enroll from Dec. 16 to Jan. 15, coverage starts Feb. 1.
The plans run through Dec. 31, 2024.
Enrollment can be done online at AccessHealthCT.com or by calling 855-805-4325. The call center is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It will be open extended hours — from 8 a.m. to midnight – on Dec. 15 and Jan. 15. It will be closed on Dec. 25 and Jan 1.
A series of enrollment fairs is being held across Connecticut throughout December, including at the West Hartford Library (20 South Main St. in West Hartford) on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and at Cromwell Town Hall (41 West St. in Cromwell) on Tuesday from 5 to 8 p.m.
For a complete list of fairs and other enrollment events, click here.
Most current customers — about 80% — will be re-enrolled automatically. Some policies are being discontinued next year. Those who are unsure about their plan status should contact Access Health CT.
Two companies offer individual health plans through the exchange — Anthem Health Plans and ConnectiCare. ConnectiCare sells policies under two different licenses — ConnectiCare Benefits Inc. and ConnectiCare Insurance Company Inc.
Anthem also offers small group plans through the exchange to employers with 50 or fewer workers.
The state approved an average rate hike of 9.4% on individual health plans and 7.4% on small group policies.
Insurers had asked for higher increases — an average of 12.4% on individual plans and 14.8% on small group. They pointed to the rising cost of prescription drugs, increased demand for medical services and the impact of Medicaid unwinding, among other changes, as reasons for the requests.
“For an insurance company to be sustainable, rates must be adequate to provide for the payment of claims and the costs of administering the program,” Mark Meador, president of ConnectiCare, said at an August public hearing. “Over the past two years, we have experienced significant losses. … For 2024, the premium levels for our plans must be sufficient to meet the health care needs of our members who depend on us.”
