175,000 Hoosiers Enrolled Through Affordable Care Act So Far

WFIU | By Stephanie Wiechmann

Published October 7, 2019 at 2:57 PM EDT

Federal health officials say 175,000 Hoosiers have signed up for health insurance with the Affordable Care Act during this year's open enrollment period.

But officials say there are many more people to reach before a mid-February deadline.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 89 percent of uninsured people don't know they can enroll in healthcare coverage from now through Feb. 15.

"So many of uninsured thought the day would never come that they could have health insurance," HHS Regional Director Kathleen Falk says. "Because they could never be able to afford it or because they had a pre-existing condition. No company would sell it to them."

Falk was in Muncie on Thursday to urge people to sign up for health insurance. She brought with her a lot of facts and figures.

After last year's Affordable Care Act enrollment, there are 10 million less uninsured people in America.

Nine insurance companies are offering plans to Hoosiers under the federal exchange. That's up from four companies last year.

Falk says the healthcare.gov website has streamed the enrollment process. Last year, it took 76 screens to sign up. This year, that's down to 16.

2015 is the first year that the federal government will penalize those who don't have some form of health insurance. That fine — payable on federal taxes — is 1 percent of a person's yearly household income or $95 — whichever is higher.