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 eligible for Medicaid but had not enrolled. They also do not provide updated numbers for business enrollees.

The chart below shows the QHP enrollments per report for this open enrollment period. Through January, 44,779 have newly enrolled in a QHP and 87,528 have renewed their coverage in a QHP.

According to the HBE press release,

Current enrollment data shows that a larger percentage of residents are qualifying for Washington Apple Health (Medicaid) than previously expected.

“We have seen more than 630,000 individuals newly covered in Washington State, which is well beyond our combined 2015 enrollment forecasts for Qualified Health Plans and Washington Apple Health,” said [HBE CEO Richard] Onizuka. “While residents continue to qualify for Apple Health, we expect a large enrollment surge in new and renewing private health plan enrollment heading toward the Feb. 15 deadline.”

The 630,000 includes Medicaid enrollees; the numbers for QHP enrollees do not reach the goal the HBE had for this enrollment period, which is for 85,000 new enrollees in a QHP and 130,000 QHP renewals. The Seattle Times notes that the insurance commissioner is less optimistic than the HBE CEO:

“I’m not exactly encouraged with the enrollment numbers we’re seeing right now,” said state insurance commissioner Mike Kreidler. “There might be a mad rush at the end.”