Exchange Roundup: 2,000 Oregonians Must Switch Plans; Georgia Medicaid Applicants Still In Limbo

Media outlets cover exchange and Medicaid developments in Oregon, Georgia and Florida.

Oregonian: Cover Oregon: At Least 2,000 Oregonians Need To Change Coverage Due To Health Exchange Errors
Cover Oregon will hold a special open enrollment period for 1,400 Oregonians who were incorrectly enrolled into the low-income Oregon Health Plan by the state's troubled health insurance exchange. Starting Aug. 31, the people affected will have no coverage through the OHP, the state's version of Medicaid. However, they will have the option to sign up for coverage from private insurers and to qualify for tax credits through Cover Oregon to bring down premiums. Meanwhile, Cover Oregon is contacting at least 700 people who should have been enrolled in the Oregon Health Plan, but were incorrectly enrolled in a commercial health plan instead (Budnick, 8/26).

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: One-Third Of Medicaid Applicants Still In Limbo
Roughly 27,000 poor Georgians, most of them children, still don’t know whether they’ll get health coverage months after applying for Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance marketplace (Anderson, 8/26).

Health News Florida: Obamacare Sign-Ups To Rise 23%?
The number of Floridians enrolled in individual health plans under the Affordable Care Act in June was 866,485, according to new state data compiled from insurers’ reports. The carriers expect enrollment to rise to 1.1 million next year, an increase of 23 percent (Gentry, 8/26).

Fox News: How to Get Health Insurance Outside the Open Enrollment Window
The first open enrollment season of the Affordable Care Act has come and gone and the next one doesn’t start until Nov. 15, but that doesn’t mean uninsured individuals can’t get coverage until then. “Under the Affordable Care Act, people who experience certain life changes may be eligible to enroll in a new health plan before the next open enrollment period begins,” says Michael Mahoney, senior vice president, consumer marketing at GoHealth www.gohealthinsurance.com. “Those who qualify for a special enrollment period generally have 60 days from the qualifying event to shop for coverage” (Fuscaldo, 8/26).