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California exceeds 2014 exchange enrollment goals

Kelly Kennedy
USA TODAY
Healthcare reform specialist Naama Pozniak (R) helps Edgar Loya compare plans at the free Affordable Care Act Enrollment Fair at Pasadena City College on Nov. 19 in Pasadena, Calif.
  • 45%2C745 Latinos sign up in one month
  • 728%2C410 sign up for private plans
  • More than 100%2C000 have signed up in February

WASHINGTON — Well before the March 31 deadline to buy insurance, California announced Tuesday it has already exceeded its 2014 enrollment goals for its health care exchange.

By the end of January, 728,410 people had enrolled in private health plans through Covered California, and 100,000 more signed up in the first two weeks of February. About 26% are 34 and younger.

"These enrollment numbers mean that with six weeks to go, California has already exceeded its projected base enrollment for the 2014 open-enrollment period," said Covered California executive director Peter Lee. "While this is a strong showing, our goal is not pinned to meeting projections, but to making sure every Californian gets covered."

Eighty percent of enrollees have paid their first month's premium, Lee said, and another 877,000 are eligible for Medicaid in California.

After a sustained campaign to enroll California's Latinos in health care, more than 45,000 signed up in January, Lee said. This comes after criticism that while 50% of the state's uninsured were Latino, only 18% of people enrolling from October to December were Latino. The new numbers bump the percentage up to 28%.

"We had 45,745 Latinos enroll in a single month," Lee said. "We're glad to see increased momentum for enrollment in the Latino communities, but we still have work to do as we move into the final six weeks before the March 31 deadline."

Americans who do not have health insurance through their employers or the government must buy insurance by March 31 or pay a fine.

New York also reported gains in enrollment Tuesday, saying that 266,177 people had enrolled in private plans; 44,000 people signed up last week. Another 189,865 have signed up for Medicaid.

"We are very pleased to see that more than 456,000 New Yorkers have enrolled for quality, low-cost health insurance, and over 745,000 people have completed applications since the Oct. 1 launch of NY State of Health," said Donna Frescatore, executive director of NY State of Health. "Also, 69 percent of enrolled New Yorkers were uninsured when they applied."

Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that 1.1 million people signed up for private coverage in January, bringing the total enrollment for private plans to 3.3 million as of Jan. 31.

Open enrollment continues until March 31 at www.healthcare.gov. Most people who make less than 400% of the federal poverty level, or $94,250 for a family of four, are eligible for subsidies. Those who do not have insurance may face a fine when their 2014 taxes are due.

Follow @KellySKennedy on Twitter.

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