Covered California Details New Enrollment Data, Reports on Five Years of Improving Affordability and Access
On Wednesday, Covered California released new data detailing open enrollment figures for the 2020 coverage year, revealing that 230,000 Californians have selected a plan as of December 16. This figure represents an increase of approximately 16 percent compared to last year’s open enrollment period at this point in time. More than 1.15 million existing consumers have renewed their plans for the upcoming year, giving Covered California approximately 1.38 million plan selections for 2020. Notably, Covered California is only halfway through its open enrollment period and continues processing renewals; a full accounting and comparison of data will be available after open enrollment closes on January 31, 2020.
For the 2020 coverage year, California will be providing additional financial assistance to eligible consumers, becoming the first state to offer subsidies to many middle-income consumers who have previously not qualified for such assistance. More than 540,000 individuals have been determined eligible for the new state subsidy, including approximately 28,000 in the middle-income range of 400 to 600 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL).
As part of its preliminary data release, Covered California also released two new reports detailing how California has leveraged all available aspects of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to benefit millions of California residents. The first report, “Covered California’s First Five Years: Improving Access, Affordability, and Accountability,” highlights key strategies by Covered California and the State of California to hold health insurance companies accountable, lower costs, and further build on the ACA. The second report, “Covered California Holding Health Plans Accountable for Quality and Delivery System Reform,” summarizes how the 11 health insurance companies with which Covered California contracts met contractual requirements imposed on them to foster better quality, healthier populations, and lower costs, with particular attention to health equity and their efforts to promote changes in how health care is delivered. A supplemental chart pack further details key actions and impacts of Covered California’s work.
According to Covered California, the reports show how California has implemented the ACA – by expanding Medicaid and establishing a state-based marketplace – and has gone beyond the law by providing state-funded subsidies and restoring the individual mandate. Additional information is available here.