CONNECTICUT, USA — Officials said a record number of people have enrolled with Access Health CT (AHCT) this past period.
The healthcare program announced that 129,000 people enrolled in a plan for 2024 during open enrollment, compared to 108,142 people for 2023. According to AHCT, this is the highest enrollment since the state-based marketplace opened in 2013.
Included in the number of signups are the 27,393 residents who are enrolled with the Covered CT plan benefit. That program provides no-cost coverage for eligible residents, with the state paying the consumer portion of the premiums and cost-sharing.
AHCT attributed the increase in sign-ups to several reasons. They said they trained and supported new brokers throughout the state in order to help residents with the application process.
AHCT also enacted a targeted marketing and outreach campaign that was designed to help increase enrollment. Those efforts were focused on underserved communities and neighborhoods with high populations of uninsured residents.
Also, beginning in the spring of 2023, AHCT hosted a number of outreach and enrollment fairs to help people affected by Medicaid Unwinding in order to avoid gaps in coverage. Medicaid Unwinding was the process of resuming the review of homes eligible for Medicaid/HUSKY health programs after a three-year break due to the pandemic health emergency.
AHCT said that the success of their broker academy played an essential role in the record enrollment. Over the past two years, 50 brokers were trained and licensed through the free program and now work within underserved communities across the state.
“It takes the dedication and hard work of many to achieve these enrollment numbers,” said AHCT Chief Executive Officer James Michel. “Our staff, community partners, partnership with the Department of Social Services, Broker Academy brokers and mentors, the legislative community and many others have made this a very successful Open Enrollment. I am proud to work with people who believe in our mission and understand the importance of health insurance coverage for everyone in Connecticut.”
State Senator Matt Lesser, chair of the Human Services Committee, also praised the record number of signups and said that it was Connecticut showing that the Affordable Care Act works.
“Many people this year discovered that they are eligible for completely free coverage under our new Covered CT program, and the cost of coverage has fallen for middle-class families thanks to funding from President Joe Biden and our congressional delegation. That makes getting covered a no-brainer," Lesser said.
--
Jennifer Glatz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jglatz@fox61.com.
Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.