Majority of insured receiving some financial assistance

The most recent Health Insurance Marketplace numbers are in, and they show that 84 percent of Montanans who have signed up through the federal marketplace are receiving some sort of financial assistance to lower monthly premiums.

As of Jan. 16, 47,206 Montanans have signed up under the federal Marketplace. Of those, 35 percent were under age 35. Of the 47,206, 68 percent are re-enrolling in a Marketplace plan and 32 percent are selecting a plan for the first time.

Nationally, 9.5 million Americans have signed up for health-care plans. More than 7.1 million were in the 37 states (including Montana) that have elected to use the federal marketplace. The other 2.4 million are in the 14 states (including Washington, D.C.) that run their own marketplace platforms.

Open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act ends Feb. 15. Consumers can sign up for plans on HealthCare.gov. 

Tax penalties this year will impact those not covered by health insurance by Feb. 15.