California is averaging 15,000 Obamacare enrollments each day
California is averaging 15,000 Obamacare enrollments each day
Posted by Sarah Kliff on December 18, 2013
State health exchanges are reporting a surge in enrollment -- and consumer interest -- as they near a late December deadline to purchase insurance coverage.
If November had an Obamacare surge, consider this the December deluge. California averaged 15,000 daily enrollments early last week, about double the sign-ups the state had in early December. New York is now seeing about 4,500 residents choosing plans each day and, in Connecticut, the number is hovering around 1,400.
With consumer interest seeming to spike, these states and others are increasing call center staffing by half.
"We continue to see a tremendous increase in enrollment," says Lisa Sbrana, counsel to New York State of Health. "We're averaging between 1,200 and 1,500 calls per hour and have seen a 34 percent increase in enrollment from last week to this week."
The rush comes before a Dec. 23 deadline to purchase coverage that would begin on Jan. 1. While open enrollment does run through the end of March, the Dec. 23 deadline could be especially important to those who currently purchase coverage and don't want to fall into an insurance gap -- and those who have anticipated the health-care law's insurance expansion.
While states did expect a last-minute rush, some report being taken a bit off guard by how quickly it happened.
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/12/18/california-is-averaging-15000-obamacare-enrollments-each-day/
