HELENA— More than 54,000 Montanans signed up for individual health insurance policies through the federal marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act, an increase of nearly 50 percent over 2014’s enrollment of 36,600.
U.S. Health and Human Services officials say 11.4 million people nationwide signed up or were automatically re-enrolled, up from 8 million covered in the program’s first year. Enrollment ended on Sunday.
State Auditor Monica Lindeen said Wednesday her office plans to survey insurance companies this spring to find out the total number of Montanans with health insurance, no matter how they obtained it.
Lindeen said she expects between 50,000 and 70,000 Montanans will continue to lack coverage because they fall in a gap between making too much money to quality for Montana’s Medicaid program and making too little to qualify for federal tax credits under ACA.