The number of North Carolina residents who enrolled in health plans through the federal exchange this year fell from the same period last year, The News & Observer reports.
This is the first time in the state enrollment for health coverage through ACA exchanges fell short of previous signup years. Federal data released Tuesday showed North Carolina's total ACA health plan enrollment as of Dec. 31 was 534,293. This is 4.4 percent lower than the 558,892 enrollees last year.
Aside from Texas, Florida and California, North Carolina is one of the highest-enrolling states in the nation for health plans through the federal exchange. However, only one insurer — Durham-based Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina — offered 2017 health coverage through the federal exchange statewide. Bloomfield, Conn.-based Cigna offered 2017 coverage through the exchange in five counties.
Nationwide, HHS reported more than 11.5 million individuals signed up for health plans through the federal marketplace from Nov. 1 to Dec. 24, marking an increase of 286,000 plan selections from the same period last year.