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At end of open enrollment, Exchange goals were not met

Open enrollment for health insurance ended Sunday. The Washington Health Benefit Exchange (HBE) has only provided approximate enrollment numbers: “Nearly” 160,000 renewed coverage or enrolled for the first time during the open enrollment period. Of those, “more than” 66,000 were new enrollees, meaning that renewals were not more than 94,000. They did get a bounce […]

Washington Exchange enrollment through January

The Washington Health Benefit Exchange (HBE) has released some enrollment numbers through January. I say “some” because they only include numbers for new and renewed qualified (private) health plans (QHP) and for new Medicaid enrollees under the expansion. They do not include numbers for Medicaid renewals or enrollments in Medicaid by those who were previously […]

"Too few people" buying insurance through the Healthplanfinder

The Seattle Times has a good article from Lisa Stiffler about enrollment issues at the Washington Health Benefit Exchange (HBE). I wrote last week that enrollments are well short of the HBE’s goal for this year’s open enrollment, which ends Feb. 15. Stiffler provides more details: The trouble for the Washington Health Benefit Exchange, which […]

Tax credit (and approximate enrollment) numbers from the Washington Exchange

Yesterday the Washington Health Benefit Exchange (HBE) announced that Healthplanfinder customers received $334 million in tax credits last year. The average monthly tax credit per family was $390 a month, or more than $3,100 annually to help lower the costs of health insurance. . . . Customers who enrolled in 2014 coverage provided their estimated […]

How does the Washington Health Benefit Exchange fare in the governor's budget?

As I wrote in October, the Health Benefit Exchange (HBE) had requested $67 million for 2015-17 (in addition to the $80 million that had already been appropriated for the biennium). Gov. Inslee’s budget proposal would provide that amount: $33.3 million in federal funds, $13.8 million from the state general fund, and $20.2 million in the […]

Washington Exchange enrollments through December

As of the end of 2014, there are 27,753 new enrollees in qualified (private) health plans (QHP) through the Washington Healthplanfinder. An additional 79,318 have renewed their QHP coverage during the open enrollment period. Nine employers have signed up under the business plan. (See here for information on the Dec. 11 enrollment report.) Although enrollment […]

Washington Exchange enrollment news

Open enrollment for health insurance through the Washington Health Benefit Exchange began November 15 and ends February 15; yesterday was the deadline to purchase insurance for coverage beginning January 1. (But there will be “a 60-day special enrollment opportunity for consumers who were unable to meet the deadline because of technical errors associated with the exchange.”) […]

Supporting biotech and more with growth-oriented tax policy

H. Stewart Parker, a pioneer in Washington’s life sciences industry, writes in today’s Seattle Times that our state risks falling behind in the competition for biotech investment. Washington has a lot going for it business-wise, but we must not underestimate the competition for the life-sciences industry. The Washington state Legislature did not renew our industry tax […]

Next year's legislature must address transportation funding

In my column today, I revisit the Washington Roundtable-Boston Consulting Group report we posted on last week. According to BCG, a $7 billion investment would return $42 billion in value over 30 years. The benefits show up in reduced congestion costs, improved safety, lower vehicle operating costs, expanded port activity, and lower future repair costs. […]

Washington Health Benefit Exchange asks for $147 million for 2015-17

State Rep. Reuven Carlyle writes about the Washington Health Benefits Exchange’s (HBE) proposed 2015-17 budget: At a time when state agencies are being asked to model and potentially cut 15% from their budgets, the Washington Health Benefits Exchange is poised to ask the legislature to lift the cap on their budget to an astonishing $147 […]