Approximately 35,000 Californians have tentatively enrolled in the state’s health insurance exchange so far, Covered California officials reported Wednesday.
Special Section: Affordable Care Act
The numbers were provided in a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report of activity for the state and federal health care exchanges in their first month of operation under the Affordable Care Act.
Peter Lee, Executive Director of Covered California, called it “a very proud day” in a media conference call Wednesday more than an hour after the report release.
The organization reported that 70-percent of those who have used the state’s exchange said it was easy to enroll through the website.
“It’s working so well that 177,000 have completed their applications,” Lee said.
Of those, 72,000 have been determined eligible for Medical and 86,000 have been determined eligible for a covered California plan, he added.
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"Behind every one of those numbers is a real person, a person whose life is being changed by getting healthcare," Lee said.
California counts nearly 7 million people without health coverage. An estimated 2.3 million are expected to enroll in a health plan through the new agency, known as Covered California, by 2017.
The health care exchange had its share of techincal troubles when it first rolled out Oct. 1. The provider or doctor tool was considered slow and inaccurate when it first appeared.
A new version of the tool rolled out several weeks later but some doctors were concerned the tool still displayed inaccurate information.
Covered California is also offering help via the phone at (800) 300-1506. Service centers are open weekdays 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
