A deadline within the Affordable
Care Act is fast approaching and thousands of West
Virginians , like many more across the country, have still not
enrolled for mandated health care insurance.
The enrollment deadline is March
31.
Fred Earley, president of Highmark
Blue Cross Blue Shield, said — as of Wednesday — 10,970 West Virginians had
enrolled for health care coverage through the federal exchange while another
4,010 West Virginians had independently sought
new coverage from Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield is
the only insurance company offering coverage plans in West Virginia
After a slow start because of
problems with healthcare.gov when the enrollment window first opened last
October, “It’s getting better, (but) it’s still not up to where we thought the
projections would be,” said Earley.
With less than three
weeks remaining until the deadline, Earley said Highmark’s enrollment
numbers were, at least, 25 percent below projections.
Highmark’s enrollment figures
reflect what is happening nationally.
As of earlier this week, 4.2
million total people had enrolled for health care insurance through the federal
exchanges which were created in the Affordable Care Act. It’s off the
pace from what the Department of Health and Human Services had originally
projected and stands at about 75 percent of the target goal.
People who don’t have health
insurance after March 31 may be subjected to tax penalties through the Internal
Revenue Service.
Since October, more than 87,000 West
Virginians who qualify have enrolled for coverage through the
Medicaid expansion.
