Officials Estimate Covered Calif. Enrollment Will Increase by 43%

Covered California officials estimate that enrollment in health insurance through the state's insurance exchange will increase by 43% during the second open enrollment period, the San Francisco Business Times' "Bay Area BizTalk" reports.

About 1.2 million state residents enrolled in coverage through Covered California during the initial open enrollment period, the most of any state. Officials estimate that 500,000 more individuals will sign up during the upcoming open enrollment period, bringing total enrollment to 1.7 million (Rauber, "Bay Area BizTalk," Sacramento Business Times, 11/7).

Last year, open enrollment was a six-month process. This year it will be half as long, starting Nov. 15 and ending Feb. 15 (Gorn, California Healthline, 11/7).

In an effort to promote the exchange's second open enrollment period, Covered California on Monday will kick off a nine-day bus tour (Lambert, San Luis Obispo Tribune, 11/8).

Covered California officials said they hope to make more than 20 stops in cities across the state to spread the word about the open enrollment period and help people with enrollment (California Healthline, 11/7).

Covered California's bus tour is part of a $95 million community outreach campaign supported by federal funding (San Luis Obispo Tribune, 11/8).