Hartford, Conn. (February 23, 2015) - Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman, Chair of the Board of Access Health CT (AHCT), and Access Health CT CEO Jim Wadleigh today announced that the 2015 open enrollment goal was exceeded, with a total of 204,358 individuals enrolling in quality, affordable health care coverage through the state's healthcare exchange during the second open enrollment period, which closed February 15, 2015.

"Connecticut's leadership in the implementation of the Affordable Care Act speaks to our deep commitment to ensure affordable, accessible healthcare for residents," said Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman, Chair of the Access Health CT Board. "Healthier families means a more productive workforce and a stronger economy, but the fact that more than half a million residents now have affordable health insurance makes Connecticut is a healthier place to live, work, and raise a family. I applaud the Access Health CT team for their work."

Including to the 208,301 residents who enrolled during the 2014 open enrollment, 552,603 Connecticut residents have obtained health coverage through the exchange. Of those, 110,095 have enrolled in Qualified Health Plans (QHP), and 442,508 were processed through AHCT into Medicaid.

"This year, we faced new challenges which required new approaches to be successful," said Jim Wadleigh, CEO of Access Health CT. "We implemented a targeted in-person assistance program in key communities using a network of community partners, and, with the help of an online avatar and mobile apps, we made it easier to enroll online. My sincere thanks to our entire team-our partner organizations including the Department of Labor and Connecticut Libraries, and especially the Lieutenant Governor for her leadership."

During the 2015 open enrollment the AHCT call center answered 332,412 calls and 433,404 individuals visited the website. 24,500 people downloaded the mobile app and 9,300 people used it to upload verification documents. 10,291 individuals visited the AHCT enrollment centers in New Britain and New Haven and 5,889 enrolled at these locations. An additional 4,527 residents visited the Community Enrollment Partner sites and 2,416 people enrolled at those locations.

This year, AHCT's goal was to enroll 70,000 new individuals, including individuals who were currently uninsured; whose plans no longer met the requirements of the ACA; or who chose to leave the existing individual market; as well as individuals who were currently enrolled in Medicaid and will enroll in a private plan under new income guidelines. Of the 204,358 new enrollees, 162,494 were processed through AHCT into Medicaid and 41,864 were enrolled into private plans (QHP).

AHCT will conduct another post-enrollment survey to learn more about how people enrolled, what their experience was like, and how the program can continue to improve in the future.