Nearly 102-thousand Idahoans enrolled in health insurance plans on the state-based exchange despite having a shorter time period to sign up for coverage.
Pat Kelly, executive director of Your Health Idaho, says the annual enrollment period ended December 15th, after previous enrollment had extended until late January.
The surge comes after President Donald Trump’s administration halved this year’s open enrollment period and slashed advertising and outreach budgets for HealthCare.gov.
Idaho is one of just 12 states with its own health insurance exchange and has autonomy, but the state followed the federal government’s shorter deadline unlike other state-based exchanges. That’s because exchange officials say the majority of Idahoans had selected plans by December 15th in years past.
A record number of roughly 106-thousand Idaho residents enrolled in the state-based exchange last year. (AP)
