Two of the major players in Michigan’s online insurance market saw big numbers during the open enrollment period on the online health exchange created by the Affordable Care Act.
Enrollments on Healthcare.gov began in November and were to have ended on Feb. 15. They were extended an additional week.
“Last year was the first year. We were a little cautious,” said Joan Budden, chief marketing officer for Priority Health. “This year we were more aggressive. We almost tripled our enrollment.”
Priority Health signed up 70,000 people through the state’s online exchange, Budden said.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan sold 225,000 individual health plans through the exchange.
About 341,000 Michigan residents in total selected health plans on the marketplace.
“In a dynamic retail marketplace, Blue Cross coverage was the leading choice of Michigan residents,” said Daniel J. Loepp, president and CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
“It’s particularly gratifying — in our first year as a nonprofit mutual insurer — that we were able to offer a diverse array of product choices and that the Michigan Marketplace offered a record number of insurance competitors,” he said. “These are good things for consumers.”
Sixteen insurers offered products through Michigan’s online marketplace this year. The number of plans offered differed from county to county. Michigan buyers could choose from an average of 64 options offered by the 16 insurance companies. Only two other states had a higher average number of product choices in their online exchanges.
“We had a great open enrollment,” Budden said. “In Michigan, we’re just building our reputation as a statewide carrier.”
Buden said Priority Health deals with 30 percent of the insured population in Traverse City, including both people who use the online marketplace and those who have insurance through an employer.
Blue Cross estimates its combined enrollment — including both those enrolled through the marketplace and those enrolled through employer-sponsored plans, at more than 323,000 in individual health plans.
“Michigan residents had more options — from price to network — when choosing a health plan, and they overwhelmingly chose Blue Cross,” said Terry Burke, vice president for individual business at BCBSM.
“Like our competitors, Blue Cross saw what products worked with consumers in 2014, and made changes that consumers wanted to see. Michigan is truly a competitive, retail market,” Burke said.
Date: March 10, 2015