First numbers in for health-care sign-ups

In the first portion of the Affordable Care Act’s open enrollment period, 22,618 people in Montana selected plans through the Health Insurance Marketplace by Dec. 15.

Of that number, 85 percent were deemed eligible for financial assistance such as subsidies to lower monthly premiums. Last year,  83 percent were eligible for discounts.

The Dec. 15 date was significant because it was the deadline to be guaranteed covered by insurance by Jan. 1, 2015. 

More than half of that 22,618 (58 percent) were Montanans who elected to re-enroll in the Marketplace. The other 42 percent were new sign-ups. 

There are 37 states, including Montana, who have elected to allow consumers to select a plan through the federal Marketplace. Montana has deals with four insurance companies that provide various levels of coverage: Blue Cross Blue Shield, Assurant, Pacific Source and Montana Health Co-op. 

Nationally, more than 4 million Americans either signed up for the first time or re-enrolled in coverage for 2015 during the first month of open enrollment.

A “weekly snapshot” that the Department of Health and Human Services took last week found that total, about 6.5 million Americans had signed up under the Affordable Care Act.

The Open Enrollment period continues until Feb. 15, 2015 to avoid financial penalties levied on tax refunds in the next year.