California’s state health exchange, Covered California, is reporting large numbers of residents signing up for health care plans under provisions in the nation’s new health care law. [Mercury News]
Between Nov. 15 and Dec. 3, 300,000 Californians submitted applications to Covered California and were determined eligible for either private insurance or Medi-Cal. Of those 300,000 successful applicants, about 130,000 applied for individual health plans, and approximately 160,000 requested to enroll in Medi-Cal.
In the first year of Covered California enrollment, 1.2 million Californians signed up for private health insurance. Covered California hopes to enroll 500,000 residents in private plans this year, while doing so in less than half the amount of time.
The current enrollment period ends on Feb. 15.
In the inaugural year of the state exchange program, 2.2 million residents enrolled in Medi-Cal. About 30 percent of Californians now are enrolled in Medi-Cal.
Covered California says all of the health care members are legal residents of the state.
