More and more New Yorkers are choosing to get covered through the NY State of Health insurance marketplace.  In a press release issued today, the State Department of Health (SDOH) is reporting that over 174,000 New Yorkers have now completed the application process through the online marketplace – accounting for 30% of completed applications nationwide.  SDOH is also reporting that of these 174,000 applications, to date, roughly 37,000 have been fully enrolled.

It’s no wonder people are flocking to the marketplace –  SDOH numbers indicate that prices for health insurance on the marketplace are 53% less than last year’s prices in the individual market.   It is also estimated that nearly three-quarters of people who enroll will qualify for financial assistance.

I mean, come on, what New Yorker doesn’t love a good bargain? With the kinks in the online enrollment system now being worked out, we are hearing more and more positive things about the options available through the NY State of Health.  If you haven’t done so already, be sure to log on and see what you may qualify for!

https://nystateofhealth.ny.gov/

I just noticed that the NY Times has a nifty little infographic that shows where states are with their health insurance exchanges.

Given the multitude of technical snafus seen the first week due to the unprecedented public demand, and the flood of resulting media stories, it’s reassuring to know that most of the problems appear to have been short-lived.

Yes, we know that there are still kinks to be ironed out.  But, the important thing is that most people are now able to log on, create accounts, and shop for health insurance from the comfort of their own home (or a local navigator office).

The information is a bit out of date (it hasn’t been revised since October 8th) and the detail of information by state varies, but even so the numbers being reported speak volumes about the overwhelming need for quality, affordable health insurance.

You can see for yourself by clicking here.

The New York State Department of Health issued a press release today stating that over 40,000 New Yorkers have signed up for low-cost health insurance through the NY State of Health insurance marketplace – more than any other state reporting this far!

The state is also reporting that the state call center has helped more than 26,000 callers.

Now, bear in mind that it has only been one week since the marketplace opened.  No wonder the website was experiencing hiccups! Now, I knew that there were roughly 2.6 million uninsured people in New York.  But, I did not know that they would all try to sign up for coverage in the first week!  Also, its important to note that while 40,000 people have been able to complete the application process, countless more will have logged on just to browse or see what  the exchange is offering before choosing to complete the process.

At any rate, it appears that the enrollment website is now operating normally, so kudos to the state’s IT team.  And wow – way to come out of the starting gate with a bang!

Oh…this made me laugh!

It’s always exciting to see our work covered in mainstream media, even if it is to poke fun at it.  And, after years of working ardently to counter the large-scale misinformation campaign that anti-Obamacare groups have put billions into, it does feel good to be able to take a step back every now and then and chuckle at the political circus that we operate in.

With yesterday’s opening of the new health insurance marketplaces, the Affordable Care Act has once again been thrust into the headlines.  This means that everybody is covering it, from legitimate news stations to late night television and Comedy Central.

Last night’s episode of the Daily Show with Jon Stewart featured a priceless segment (featured above) on both the messaging wars between pro- and anti-health reform groups, as well as how the marketplaces are being marketed. Jimmy Kimmel,  also had a segment on how many people simply buy into the rhetoric yet remain clueless as to what they are supporting or protesting.

Lastly, the Borowitz Report had a spoof article about millions of Tea Party members fleeing the country to escape the tyranny of affordable, quality, health insurance, only to realize that there weren’t many countries left to flee to that didn’t already have it.

Anyways, if you haven’t already seen these – enjoy!