Thousands in Hamilton County signed up for ACA health plan

photo Affordable Care Act applications are shown in this file photo.

COUNTY ENROLLMENT SNAPSHOTThe county-level estimates were derived from data on the total number of Qualified Health Plan selections by ZIP code for the initial Marketplace open enrollment period from Oct. 1, 2013-March 31, 2014.*Tennessee• Hamilton: 8,558• Bradley: 2,185• McMinn: 1,037• Coffee: 1,186• Warren: 997• Franklin: 741• Marion: 626• Rhea: 512• Grundy: 417• Sequatchie: 376• Polk: 259• Bledsoe: 233• Meigs: 227Georgia• Whitfield: 1,752• Walker: 1,368• Catoosa: 1,286• Gordon: 881• Fannin: 611• Gilmer: 593• Murray: 565• Chattooga: 355• Dade : 277Alabama• DeKalb: 1,272• Jackson: 846Source: Get Covered America* The ZIP code plan selection data was aggregated to the county level using the HUD-USPS crosswalk file from June 2014 available here: huduser.org/portal/datasets/usps_crosswalk.htmlThe full original dataset of plan enrollment by ZIP code can be accessed here: hhs.gov/health/reports/2014/MarketPlaceEnrollment/EnrollmentByZip/rpt_EnrollmentByZip.cfm.

Last year, activists helping to sign people up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act were in new territory. Little was known about who would actually sign up for the newly available coverage, or how best to reach them.

But this time around, activists hope to be more strategic -- arming themselves with new local data that provide the first up-close analysis of enrollments.

Figures released last week by the federal government break down the total number of sign-ups by ZIP code. Using that data, Get Covered America, an ACA enrollment advocacy group, mapped out county-by-county signups.

More than 8,550 Hamilton County residents signed up for coverage on the new health insurance marketplace, according to Get Covered America.

That's roughly 15 percent of the county's uninsured population of about 58,000 people -- though the data do not show how many of the new enrollees were previously uninsured versus those who may have switched from other plans.

The number also does not include those who signed up for Medicaid through the exchanges.

"This data helps us see where we can increase outreach, partnerships, and enrollment infrastructure," said Jacob Flowers, state director of Get Covered America-Tennessee.

"We're working to create tools for consumers not just in urban areas, but also in rural areas, like a statewide scheduling system so folks can easily make an appointment for free, in-person help signing up right in their community."

Hamilton, the region's most populous county, had the highest number of signups in the region by far, followed by Bradley County with more than 2,100. In Northwest Georgia, Whitfield County had the highest number of signups with more than 1,700.

Other groups preparing for upcoming enrollment say they are also trying to be more targeted in the next round of outreach efforts.

"We're really wanting to target enrollment efforts in the demographic areas that have the highest concentrations of uninsured residents," said Rae Young Bond, executive director of the Medical Foundation of Chattanooga, which is seeking to act as a health insurance navigator for the second year in a row.

Most of the region's uninsured residents live in either the inner city or in outlying rural areas.

During the last enrollment period, 151,000 Tennesseans signed up for coverage on the ACA's new health marketplace. That was a little less than half of the 305,000 or so that were eligible, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In Georgia, 316,500 people signed up, while Alabama recorded 97,800 enrollments.

Next year's open enrollment starts Nov. 15 and will run through Feb. 15, 2015.

People also can enroll now if they have experienced a life-changing event, like a marriage, a move or a new birth.

Contact staff writer Kate Harrison Belz at kbelz@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6673.

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