The number of Delawareans signing up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act climbed again last month. At the same time, state officials are scaling back expectations for first year enrollment.
5,062 people enrolled in a plan through January 31st, a nearly 60 percent increase over the previous month's numbers. Health Secretary Rita Landgraf announced the new figures at Thursday’s Health Care Commission meeting in Dover.
The Department of Health and Social Services is also embracing a September internal memo from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimating Delaware’s first-year enrollment at 8,000.
That’s substantially lower than DHSS’ original target of signing up 35,000 of the state's estimated 92,000 uninsured. Landgraf downplayed the dramatically lowered expectations, saying outreach is also important.
“I’m trying not to focus necessarily on a number for a number’s sake," said Landgraf. "What I am hopeful is that everyone is learning about gaining access to health insurance either through the marketplace or through our expansion in the Medicaid program.”
The new numbers show the state continues to have difficulty enrolling people in areas critical to the law’s success. Nearly 56 percent of of those who've signed up are between the ages of 45 and 64. Just over 20 percent of enrollees are between 18 and 34, an age group that’s typically healthy and critical for diluting the risk pool.
First State enrollment also continues to vary widely from county to county.
Just 12 percent of enrollees to date live in Kent County. 27 percent reside in Sussex County, and 61 percent are from New Castle County.
Landgraf hopes to address some deficient area during the state’s final marketing push before enrollment closes next month. She outlined some of the details of that push Thursday.
Landgraf explains their contracted marketing firm is shooting advertisements featuring local enrollees, which she hopes nets more Central Delawareans.
“It’s a little bit of an outlier, so we’re going to have to do some really special target marketing in Kent County and we are hoping with getting those local testimonials that that will indeed help us,” said Landgraf.
They’re also attempting to address the age problem by offering two, four-day passes to the Firefly Music Festival in June through Choose Health Delaware’s Facebook page.
Another planned giveaway will offer tickets to country group Lady Antebellum’s show at the Delaware State Fair.
Those efforts paid off. Since the Firefly ticket contest went live Feb. 3, Choose Health Delaware’s Facebook fans jumped by 517, with nearly 500 entries recorded.
Door hanger ads will go out to households in Kent and Sussex Counties with residents under 34-years-old.
There will also be advertisements on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Hulu and streaming radio services like Pandora, which will run in concert with print, radio and television ads set to start next week.
Open enrollment ends March 31st and those without health insurance after that date face a penalty.
