Photo courtesy Healthcare.gov
Repeal and replacement of Obamacare is still on the Republican agenda, but we still have no details or timetable for rollout of a replacement. What we do know is that the open enrollment period for insurance under the Affordable Care Act has seen a surge in people seeking coverage.
From Nov. 1, when enrollment opened, through Christmas Eve 2016, 8.7 million Americans had filed for coverage through healthcare.gov, the platform that is used by residents of 39 states, including Virginia. About 24 percent were new to the plan, according to information released Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
In Virginia, 297,930 state residents have filed for coverage, with about 22 percent filing for the first time. About one-third of Virginians who had previous coverage under the ACA switched plans for 2017.
Virginians receiving care under ACA are slightly younger than the national average; 40 percent are age 0-34, compared with the national average of 36 percent in that bracket. About 74 percent of Virginians have selected Silver coverage, 21 percent chose Bronze, 3 percent selected Gold and 2 percent chose catastrophic coverage. Most (87 percent) live in urban areas.
Overall, 11.5 million Americans were enrolled for coverage through the marketplace through Christmas Eve, about 286,000 more enrollees than at the same time last year. About 81 percent get help paying premiums through tax credits.
Open enrollment continues through Jan. 31. Coverage would be effective beginning in March. Enroll at HealthCare.gov, or you can seek help from the Enroll Virginia Project. Call 888-392-5132.
HEALTHY DEVELOPMENTS
Health and medicine news and events
Teepa Snow is the featured speaker in a dementia caregivers seminar set for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 1, at the University of Richmond.
Snow, a dementia care and education expert from North Carolina, will discuss how to create a positive, partnering experience in dementia care at the event. Snow is the founder of Positive Approach,which provides training and education to families and professionals.
The LLC was founded in 2005 and offers education to family and professional care partners all over the world. Her training is available through video, online education, and in-person trainings and consulting.
The Richmond session is for family members dealing with dementia care and for professionals. It will be held at the Jepson Alumni Center, 101 College Road. Admission for family care providers is $40, which includes lunch. The fee for professionals is $80, which also includes lunch. Continuing education units are available.
