Delaware’s Health Insurance Marketplace set an all-time record for enrollment in 2023.
Nearly 35,000 Delawareans signed up for health insurance on HealthCare.gov between Nov. and mid-January.
That’s up from just over 32,000 participants last year.
State Director of Health Care Reform Steven Costantino said subsidies and tax credits approved by Congress and the Biden Administration played a big part in boosting enrollment.
“It’s made premiums low, right? People did not have a lot of out-of-pocket costs to purchase health care.”
Costantino said Delaware’s reinsurance program, which offsets a portion of insurance claims, has also been a big factor in keeping premiums low.
“I think one of the critical pieces of why we’re up 8% over last year is the work of the navigators in the state.”
He said free consultations with navigators at both Westside Family Healthcare and Quality Insights helped make it easier for Delawareans to get healthcare.
Delawareans also had more choices for plans during this enrollment period with the addition of two new insurance carriers: AmeriHealth Caritas and Aetna CVS Health.
Previously, Delaware’s marketplace only offered a single insurer: Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield.