MD Health Connection Makes Big Strides but Future Issues Loom
Maryland has made some impressive headway recently on health care reform, something that should not be overlooked after initial technical glitches with its rollout.
The combined total of new enrollees in Medicaid and private coverage exceeded initial expectations, according to updated statistics released by Maryland Health Connection (MHC), the state’s new insurance marketplace, or exchange.
In addition, a sizable portion of those enrolling in private insurance were young adults, whose participation is important since they are likely to be healthier and help keep insurance costs low. MHC reported that 32.3 percent of enrollees were under age 34, and over half were under 45.
Enrollees also appear to be healthier than expected, according to a new study by Health Affairs, a leading health policy journal. This complements a recent Congressional Budget Office report that, nationwide, Medicaid expansion is expected to cost about a third less than originally thought.
All told, 343,000 Maryland residents have received coverage since the start of open enrollment in October of last year, according to MHC. This includes 67,900 enrollments in private insurance plans and 275,000 residents with coverage through Medicaid.
Though fewer residents signed up for private coverage than officials expected, the broader trends are encouraging.
The newly released data includes those who registered after the first open enrollment period due to technical problems, as well as additional Medicaid enrollees, since those eligible can sign up for Medicaid at any time, independent of the exchange open enrollment periods.
Source: Maryland Health Benefit Exchange
Maryland has a lot of work to do before the next open enrollment period begins November 15.
Most important, Maryland is working on a replacement for its troubled individual insurance exchange. Running its own exchange provides Maryland the ability to customize its insurance marketplace and pursue innovative ideas. But of course, this depends on successfully implementing the technology. At a meeting of the Health Benefit Exchange Board this week, officials laid out their plan and timeline for getting the new exchange technology up and running.
It is a tight timeline and the plans are still subject to federal approval. The Washington Post reports that federal officials are monitoring Maryland’s transition to the new exchange and will make a decision whether to approve the project – and authorize the use of additional federal dollars – on June 30. Maryland is seeking to use $61 million in unspent federal funds to implement the new exchange technology.
So while combined enrollment in private insurance and Medicaid has been a success and is helping a lot of people, the future of the Maryland Health Connection will depend on how state officials manage the transition leading to the June 30 federal decision. Be sure to check back here for more updates and analysis as we monitor Maryland’s implementation of the Affordable Care Act.
