MORE THAN 19,000 DELAWAREANS HAVE PICKED A 2015 PLAN OR BEEN AUTOMATICALLY RE-ENROLLED IN HEALTH INSURANCE MARKETPLACE COVERAGE

NEW CASTLE (Jan. 15, 2015) - More than 19,000 Delawareans picked a 2015 plan or were automatically re-enrolled in a plan through the federal Health Insurance Marketplace as of Jan. 9, according to an estimate released Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The total, part of a weekly "snapshot" of enrollment data issued by HHS, follows a report last month that said nearly 9,000 Delawareans had signed up for the first time or had actively re-enrolled in plans from Nov. 15 to Dec. 15, the first month of open enrollment for coverage in 2015. Open enrollment ends Feb. 15.

"This week's report continues a very positive trend for this enrollment period," said Rita Landgraf, secretary of the state's Department of Health and Social Services. "I remain quite encouraged at the level of activity and am very hopeful that more and more Delawareans will sign up by the deadline and ultimately connect to the care they need."

The report said 19,338 Delawareans either picked a plan or were automatically re-enrolled for 2015 coverage as of Jan. 9. By comparison, 14,400 Delawareans picked a marketplace plan for 2014 coverage during the six-month open enrollment period that ended last April.

This week's report said that from the start of open enrollment on Nov. 15 to Jan. 9, nearly 6.8 million Americans in the 37 states (including Delaware) that use Healthcare.gov as their enrollment platform had selected a plan or were automatically re-enrolled. The report, which did not include consumers who selected a plan through state-based marketplaces, can be found at www.hhs.gov/healthcare/facts/blog/2015/01/open-enrollment-week-eight.html

About 83 percent of Delawareans who selected plans in the first month of open enrollment were determined eligible for financial assistance to lower the cost of their monthly premiums.

Under the Affordable Care Act, most Americans are required to have health insurance or face a financial penalty, which will be assessed when they do their taxes. The penalty for not being covered in 2014 was $95 per person ($47.50 per child under 18) or 1 percent of annual household income, whichever is higher. (Only the amount above the tax filing threshold of $10,150 is used to calculate the penalty.) The penalty for not being insured in 2015 will be $325 per person ($162.50 per child under 18) or 2 percent of annual household income, whichever is higher. In addition to the penalty, an individual or family who doesn't have coverage also will be 100 percent responsible for any medical expenses they incur. To determine your penalty, use the calculator at ChooseHealthDE.com..

Delaware's Marketplace Guides are available for those who need help applying for coverage on the Marketplace. To contact a guide and to see a list of enrollment locations, go to ChooseHealthDE.com. To enroll directly go to Healthcare.gov. or call (800) 318-2596.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware's citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.