Affordable Care Act enrollment up in Ohio, Kentucky

The total number of Ohioans who signed up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act went up more than 50 percent this year over 2014, and the total number of Kentucky residents who got policies through the state's exchange went up a whopping 82 percent.

Get Covered America, the nonprofit that encouraged Americans to sign up for health insurance, attributed the increases to customers having one-on-one help to get through the government system of purchasing health insurance. The new tax penalty for not having insurance also provided an incentive for people to go shopping.

"We've gone through this process for a year, and we have found what really works is in-person assistance. These are the navigators, the certified application counselors, people who are trained to help consumers understand all their health-care options," said Myles Bell, spokesman for the Ohio operation of Get Covered America.

The open enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act this year started Nov. 15 and closed on Sunday – although those who began an application and didn't finish it by the deadline have until Feb. 22 to complete enrollment.

On Wednesday, the federal government reported the latest numbers on enrollment: 11.4 million Americans signed up or re-enrolled through Affordable Care Act marketplaces. In 2014, the first open enrollment, the total was 7 million nationwide.

In Ohio, the 2015 total was 234,507 people who re-enrolled or signed up for the first time – a 51 percent increase over 2014's total, 154,668.

In Kentucky, which operates its own health-insurance marketplace called kynect, the most recent 2015 enrollment numbers, released Friday, counted 150,665 total residents signing up for the first time or re-enrolling, an 82 percent increase from 2014's first kynect enrollment of 82,747.

Wednesday's report from the federal government had a 2015 enrollment breakdown for Ohio's four biggest metropolitan areas: In Cleveland-Elyria, 47,388; Columbus, 38,780; Cincinnati, including parts of Indiana, 37,639, and Dayton, 14,518.

Top Republicans continue to push for the repeal of the ACA. On his blog, House Speaker John Boehner earlier this month cited a West Chester business owner named 'Annemarie,' whose premiums had gone by up 26 percent in the last year under the law.

Boehner, a West Chester Republican, said the ACA is "hurting jobs, hurting family budgets, and hurting small businesses. We are listening, and we are committed to repealing ObamaCare so we can replace it with patient-centered reforms that lower costs and protect jobs."

A late surge

As happened last year, consumers surged into the marketplaces in the closing days of the open enrollment. About 20 percent of the Cincinnati enrollees signed up between Feb. 5 and 15.

Bell, of Get Covered America-Ohio, also attributed the bigger 2015 numbers to a growing awareness among consumers that financial assistance with insurance premiums was available. Government data show that about 84 percent of Ohioans who bought health insurance through the marketplace in 2014 received government help with premiums.

"A lot of studies we do have found that one of the biggest reason that people didn't sign up is the perceived affordability," Bell said. "Many people, with the financial help are paying under $100 a month for their premium. When people realize that financial assistance is available, they are more likely to enroll."

As people begin to prepare their 2014 taxes, they also are noticing that the tax penalty for not having insurance has kicked in. Bell said that factor pushed some consumers to take the plunge. "It is a motivating factor to see that for the first time on their taxes."

The tax penalty for 2014 is 1 percent of yearly income or $95. The penalty on 2015 taxes will be 2 percent of yearly income or $325.

In addition, the government said another 471,340 Ohioans enrolled in the expanded Medicaid program through Jan. 16. In 2014, 526,378 Ohioans enrolled in Medicaid.

In Kentucky, 51,631 have enrolled in Medicaid coverage; in 2014, the number was 438,148.