Exchange activity slows again

Public health insurance exchange enrollment activity fell at both the federal exchanges and the state-based exchanges in February, but faster at the state-based exchanges.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) says a total of 4.2 million people had selected a commercial “qualified health plan” through a Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) public exchange by March 1.

PPACA exchanges have found 8.8 million people to be eligible to enroll in exchanges.

About 48 percent of the consumers who are eligible to enroll in QHPs have selected QHPs.

But only 1.5 million people got through the QHP determination process in February, down 30 percent from the number who got through the determination process in January.

Just 942,833 selected QHPs, down 18 percent from the January QHP selection total.

QHP selection activity fell 44 percent between December and January, in part because a well-publicized December enrollment deadline led to a spike in exchange activity in late December.

The number of people who got through the QHP eligibility determination process in February fell 15 percent at the federal exchanges run by HHS, to 1.2 million, and 61 percent at the state-based exchanges, to 269, 912.

The number of people who selected QHPs fell 8 percent at the HHS-run exchanges, to 681,498, and 35 percent at the state-based exchanges, to 261,335.