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May 23, 2014 at 06:51 AM
Agents and brokers are still trying to figure out how many consumers can and will buy their own health coverage during the new individual market nap period.
The official open enrollment period for individual “qualified health plan” coverage began Oct. 1 and ended March 31. Broad individual QHP enrollment period extensions ended in most of the country in mid-April.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has not released any QHP enrollment figures for the exchanges it runs since the end of the open enrollment period, and some observers say it may not release new QHP enrollment figures until the 2015 open enrollment period begins.
In Minnesota, QHP enrollment increased by only about 55 people per week between April 27 and May 11.
Nap period enrollment activity was far below the overall average of about 1,800 per week.
In Maryland, QHP enrollment increased by about 500 per week, compared with an open enrollment period average of about 2,400 per week.
In Washington state, QHP enrollment increased by about 5,000 per week between mid-April and mid-May. The open enrollment period average was about 6,000 per week.
Regulators developed the enrollment period system in an effort to keep the new Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act underwriting limits from encouraging consumers to wait until they get sick to buy coverage.
