Albany, NY - November 16, 2016 - NY State of Health, the state’s official health plan Marketplace, today announced the Marketplace is now open for individuals looking to renew their health plan coverage for 2017. Beginning today, current enrollees can update their account information, if needed, and enroll in a plan for coverage starting January 1, 2017. Open enrollment for new customers seeking to enroll in a Qualified Health Plan began November 1 and runs through January 31, 2017. New Yorkers must enroll by December 15 for coverage beginning January 1, 2017.
There has been significant interest in NY State of Health during this year’s open enrollment period. The customer service center has answered nearly 264,000 calls since November 1. The NY State of Health website also experienced high traffic in the second week of open enrollment, averaging more than 10,000 users an hour, which is significantly higher than it was during the same week of the 2016 open enrollment.
“The message to all consumers-new and returning–is to come in and shop the Marketplace, and see how easy and affordable quality health insurance coverage can be,” said NY State of Health Executive Director, Donna Frescatore. “Increases in tax credits mean that many consumers who enroll in plans through the Marketplace will see premium decreases in the new year.”
Many individuals will find that they are eligible for increased federal financial assistance in 2017 to help make coverage more affordable. NY State of Health’s website plan preview, an anonymous shopping tool, allows individuals to get an estimate of financial assistance and see health plan options without entering personal identifying information. The tool can be accessed here.
The following table contains examples of the increase in tax credit amounts and change in silver plan costs from 2016 to 2017 for individual coverage in regions throughout the state, for a consumer with an annual income of $30,000.
|
County |
Increase in Tax Credit from 2016 to 2017 |
Change in Cost for Lowest Cost Silver Plan from 2016 to 2017, with Tax Credit Applied |
|
Erie |
↑31% (from $144.94 to $189.73) |
↓8% (from $206.70 to $190.96) |
|
Jefferson |
↑49% (from $183.73 to $273.79) |
↓23% (from $189.58 to $146.09) |
|
Montgomery |
↑17% (from $211.65 to $247.28) |
↓5% (from $204.13 to $193.08) |
|
Nassau |
↑39% (from $176.98 to $246.12) |
↓3% (from $206.02 to $199.98) |
|
New York City |
↑56% (from $160.01 to $249.21) |
↓1% (from $205.99 to $204.34) |
|
Rockland |
↑37% (from $186.12 to $254.24) |
↓3% (from $208.61 to $202.22) |
Since its start three years ago, NY State of Health has had tremendous success, enrolling more than 3 million New Yorkers in affordable health coverage. Marketplace enrollment gains have helped drive the state’s uninsured rate to its lowest level in decades. The number of uninsured New Yorkers has declined by nearly 850,000 and between 2013 and 2015, the rate of uninsured declined from 10 percent to 5 percent. In addition, NY State of Health’s Essential Plan, designed for lower income New Yorkers, launched in 2016 and has met with tremendous success. The Essential Plan lowers premiums to $20 or less a month and provides comprehensive benefits with no annual deductibles, free preventive care and low copayments.
NY State of Health works with thousands of in-person assistors across New York State who are trained and ready to help New Yorkers get affordable health coverage. The NY State of Health Customer Service Center can be reached at 1-855-355-5777.
About NY State of Health
New York opened its Health Plan Marketplace, NY State of Health, in October 2013. The Marketplace’s one-stop health insurance shopping experience offers high quality comprehensive health plans. NY State of Health is the only place where consumers can qualify to get help paying for coverage through premium discounts or tax credits. Eligible New Yorkers can also enroll in Medicaid, Child Health Plus and the Essential Plan through the Marketplace all year. For more information about the NY State of Health Marketplace, please visit: here or call Customer Service at 1-855-355-5777, TTY: 1.800.662.1220 or find an enrollment assistor.