About 52% of New Yorkers who signed up for Obamacare by April 15 through the New York State of Health marketplace live in the Big Apple.
Upward of 960,000 individuals and more than 3,100 small businesses — one-fourth of them also in New York City — enrolled in the marketplace statewide.
About 80% of individual enrollees reported that they had no insurance before applying. Almost 55% of all enrollees qualified for Medicaid. And three-quarters of the 370,604 people who signed up for Qualified Health Plans (QHPs) received subsidies, which averaged $215 a month.
Open enrollment for most individuals is closed through Nov. 15.
The robust Medicaid enrollments were expected, said Bill Schwarz, New York Health Department spokesman.
“The goal is to access health insurance so people who have none can now access care,” said Schwarz.
He declined to speculate as to whether costs would increase as a result of more people receiving more medical care, but said a greater use of insurance would decrease costly emergency room use and inappropriate hospitalizations.
More than 3,100 small businesses – 25% in NYC – also enrolled in the marketplace.
While small business owners seeking insurance for 50 or fewer employees, New Yorkers eligible for Medicaid and all small children can enroll throughout the year, open enrollment to individuals without a “qualifying event” is closed until the marketplace reopens Nov. 15. A qualifying event includes moving to NY state, getting married or divorced, gaining a dependent, or losing employer insurance.
