Health and Human Services delivered the latest insurance enrollment news. Unsurprisingly, the significance of the 2.2 million enrolled patients depends on who’s being asked. The total number gives the White House a tight-ish window to reach its goal of having seven million names on the roster of enrolled names by March 31, but Larry Levitt, SVP at the Kaiser Family Foundation, tells the New York Times that “the mix of enrollment is much more important than the total number.”
Levitt’s comments are of particular note because HHS data indicates that older—meaning more expensive—patients make up the majority of those who have signed up for coverage through state or federal marketplaces. The Times says the current tally is as follows: 55% are between 45 and 64 years old, 24% are between 18 and 34, and 33% are between 55 and 64.
The Gray Lady also notes that women make up 54% of the enrolled, men 46%, and that the majority of patients qualified for federal subsidies.
