Wisconsin Obamacare enrollment nearly doubles, beats projections

WASHINGTON – Obamacare enrollment in Wisconsin nearly doubled in the final month of signups for insurance through the federal exchange, skyrocketing to nearly 140,000 enrollees overall in the state. That’s up from 71,000 the previous month.

The final tally released Thursday, which includes signups through the extended enrollment processing deadline of April 19, far exceeds the administration’s target of 79,000 enrollees in Wisconsin.

Health and Human Services officials credited extensive outreach by the agency and its community partners.

Across the country, they said there were 70,000 enrollment events, some 28,000 assisters were trained, and target markets were blanketed with television, radio and digital advertising. Outgoing HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said she personally traveled to almost 100 cities.

“At this historic moment, we’re one big step closer to finally realizing the president’s dream of an America where there truly is opportunity for all,” she said in a conference call with reporters Thursday.

The data does not show how many of the Wisconsinites who signed up have actually paid their premiums, but HHS noted that some insurance companies have said as much as 80 or 90 percent of enrollees had paid. HHS officials also said they did not have reliable data showing how many of the enrollees were previously uninsured.

Nationwide, only about 13 percent of those who were asked if they had insurance said that they did. But administration officials say they don’t believe that is accurate, considering it differs wildly from other estimates that as many as 73 percent were already insured.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin hailed the enrollment figures Thursday, saying they show that Obamacare is “working for Wisconsin.”

“Even Gov. Walker, who has opposed the Affordable Care Act and who continues to support repealing it, has been forced to acknowledge its success in Wisconsin,” she said. “Just last month, Gov. Walker praised the success of the federal marketplace in enrolling Wisconsinites. Today’s announcement is further proof that this praise is well deserved.

Walker’s office could not immediately be reached for comment.

Of the 140,000 Wisconsinite who signed up, 55 percent are women, and 26 percent are between 18 and 34 years old. Nine out of 10 are receiving federal subsidies to help pay for their health insurance coverage. A majority -- 72 percent -- chose silver plans, a middle-level of coverage, while only 1 percent chose the highest-level platinum plan.

For insurance providers, the number and types of enrollees in the Badger State generally appear to meet projections. That means their medical costs should be close to projections and so premiums could remain stable next year.

“While it will be some time before we can speak with detail regarding our enrollment numbers, in profile, our new enrollees appear to generally match the federal government’s projections for the industry,” said Scott Larrivee, a spokesman for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. “We look forward to serving them with coverage that reflects our deep knowledge and understanding of the local markets in which we operate.”

Anthem offered plans through the federal exchange to residents of more than two dozen counties across Wisconsin, including Brown, Outagamie, Fond du Lac, Manitowoc, Sheboygan, Marathon, Portage and Wood.

“At Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield we are proud to have been an essential players from the start,” Larrivee said. “As we move forward, we can all take pride that for the first time, millions of uninsured Americans have access to comprehensive health insurance.”

March 31 marked the end of the first open enrollment period, although the administration extended the deadline for people who had started the process of signing up. For everyone else, the exchange is now officially closed until the next open enrollment begins this fall, except for those that have a life event -- birth or marriage, for example -- which would qualify them to enroll or change their coverage.