Enrollment in Qualified Health Plans and Essential Plan Reaches Nearly 900,000

December 15th is the Deadline to Enroll for January Coverage

New Yorkers Urged to Enroll Now

ALBANY, N.Y. (December 7, 2017) - NY State of Health, the state’s official health plan Marketplace, today announced enrollment in Qualified Health Plans (QHP) and the Essential Plan have reached nearly 900,000—continuing to outpace enrollment at the same point last year by 13 percent.

“The swift pace of enrollment shows that New Yorkers want the protection that health plans offered through NY State of Health provide,” said NY State of Health Executive Director Donna Frescatore. “Consumers new to the Marketplace, or those who are scheduled to renew their coverage for 2018, should avoid the last-minute rush and pick a plan as soon as possible, but no later than December 15th for coverage starting January 1st.”

NY State of Health enrollment highlights as of December 6, 2017:

More than 66,000 new enrollees already have enrolled in 2018 coverage, including over 23,000 consumers who have enrolled in a QHP and nearly 43,000 who have enrolled in the Essential Plan.

Total QHP and EP enrollment stands at 876,000, with over 166,000 consumers enrolled in a QHP for 2018 and nearly 710,000 in the Essential Plan.

Open Enrollment in a QHP continues through January 31st, 2018. Consumers must enroll by December 15th, 2017 for coverage beginning January 1st, 2018. Enrollment in the Essential Plan is open all year.

Since the start of Open Enrollment, the customer service center has answered over 685,000 calls. The NY State of Health website – nystateofhealth.ny.gov - has also experienced high traffic during open enrollment, with more than 41 million website page views and more than 814,000 unique visitors. Volume is expected to increase as the December 15th deadline approaches, so consumers are encouraged to enroll now.

Consumers can enroll in a health plan:

Online at nystateofhealth.ny.gov

By calling the Customer Service Center at 1-855-355-5777 which is open: Monday to Friday from 8:00am – 8:00pm Saturdays from 9:00am – 4:00pm (extended hours this Sat 12/9/17)

With the help of an in-person assistor. Find one here.

Key dates and deadlines:

Date Deadline November 1, 2017 – January 31, 2018 2018 Open Enrollment December 15, 2017 Last day to enroll for coverage beginning January 1, 2018 January 31, 2018 Last day to enroll for 2018 QHP coverage. (New Yorkers cannot enroll in a QHP after this date unless they qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.)

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Contact: NY State Department of Health

press@health.ny.gov

518-474-7354 ext. 1

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: https://nystateofhealth.ny.gov/ or call Customer Service at 1-855-355-5777, TTY: 1-800-662-1220 or find an enrollment assistor.