With the federal marketplace now closed, Highmark Inc. today announced that 181,144 individuals selected the insurer’s plans on and off the federal marketplace in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Delaware.
“We’re pleased with the number of enrollees who have chosen Highmark, and we look forward to providing them with high-quality health insurance,” said Deborah Rice Johnson, president of Highmark Health Plan. “This was a whole new way to sell health insurance, and it was difficult to know what to expect when open enrollment began on October 1.”
Highmark’s total enrollment* for individuals who have purchased Affordable Care Act-compliant plans both on the federal marketplace exchange and through Highmark directly:
- Pennsylvania: 148,003 total with 104,324 on-exchange and 43,679 off-exchange
- West Virginia: 20,131 total with 14,839 on-exchange and 5,292 off-exchange
- Delaware: 13,010 total with 9,187 on-exchange and 3,823 off-exchange
Through both on- and off-exchange purchases, Highmark had a noteworthy percentage of new members, which are likely those who were previously uninsured or had insurance with a competitor.
- Pennsylvania: 53 percent new members
- West Virginia: 63 percent new members
- Delaware: 67 percent new members
“As the only provider on the exchange, Highmark West Virginia remains committed to serving our state,” said Fred Earley, president of Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield West Virginia. “Although lower than our original projections, we are pleased with the results, especially considering early technical problems with Healthcare.gov that delayed enrollments.”
*Enrollment numbers as of March 31, 2014 are of those who have been loaded to Highmark’s system through completed enrollments (834s that have been verified and processed by Highmark). These enrolled members may have not yet paid their first month’s premium, therefore have not completed the entire enrollment process.
