by Dennis Domrzalski, Reporter - Albuquerque Business First
More than 7,500 New Mexicans have selected a health insurance plan on the federal insurance exchange for individuals, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Monday.
As of Dec. 28, 7,688 state residents had selected a plan on the exchange. Of those, 55 percent were women and 18 percent were between the ages of 18 and 34, a key demographic for the exchanges. The exchanges need healthy young people to buy insurance through the exchanges so they can help subsidize care for older and sicker people.
Thirty-eight percent of New Mexicans who have signed up for policies were between the ages of 55 and 64, and 60 percent were aged 45 to 64.
In New Mexico, 58 percent of those customers chose silver plans on the exchange, which pay for 70 percent of medical costs. Twenty-two percent chose bronze plans, 18 percent chose gold plans and 2 percent chose platinum plans.
Three-quarters, or 74 percent, of those New Mexico residents who chose plans were eligible for financial assistance or federal subsidies.
As of Dec. 28, 21,422 New Mexicans had applied for coverage on the exchange. Of those, 12,327 were found to be eligible for Medicaid and 7,688 signed up for plans.
Read more: http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/news/2014/01/13/nm-healthcaregov-enrollment-soars.html