ConnectiCare Benefits Inc. was the most popular carrier among plans sold on the state’s health insurance exchange this year, capturing 42.3 percent of the 110,095 people who signed up for insurance through Access Health CT.

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, the state’s largest insurer and last year’s exchange leader, received 39.8 percent of signups. HealthyCT raised its share from 3.2 percent last year to 15.6 percent this year, while UnitedHealthcare, in its first year of offering coverage through the exchange, captured 2 percent of customers.

Exchange plans by insurance company
The number of people signed up for insurance through Access Health CT, by insurer
Carrier20142015
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield41,81343,910
ConnectiCare Benefits34,30846,668
HealthyCT2,59217,239
UnitedHealthcareNA2,278
Total78,713110,095
Access Health CT

The majority of customers in all plans picked silver plans. The plans are categorized by metals; bronze plans have lower premiums but require members to pay more when getting care in the form of deductibles and cost-sharing, while gold plans have higher premiums but leave members with less to pay toward their care. For most people, silver plans are mid-level, although people with lower incomes can buy silver plans with deeply subsidized cost-sharing.

Compared to 2014, bronze and silver plans grew in popularity, compared to gold plans.

Exchange plan types by insurer
The number of people who bought insurance through Access Health CT, by plan type and insurer. Gold plans cost the most but require members to pay less when getting care, whereas bronze plans have lower premiums but higher deductibles and other cost-sharing. Silver plans are midlevel for many people, but people with lower incomes can purchase silver plans with significantly discounted cost-sharing. Catastrophic plans are only available to people under 30. Only ConnectiCare Benefits offers a platinum plan, which has the highest premiums and lowest cost to members when receiving care.
Carrier 2014 2015
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Catastrophic 627 1,625
Bronze 9,247 10,414
Silver 27,744 23,276
Gold 9,195 8,595
ConnectiCare Benefits
Catastrophic 1,107 517
Bronze 2,484 10,821
Silver 26,476 29,436
Gold 4,241 4,844
Platinum NA 1,050
HealthyCT
Catastrophic 14 41
Bronze 1,043 3,181
Silver 715 11,718
Gold 820 2,299
UnitedHealthcare
Catastrophic NA NA
Bronze NA 261
Silver NA 1,087
Gold NA 930
Access Health CT

Arielle Levin Becker covered health care for The Connecticut Mirror. She previously worked for The Hartford Courant, most recently as its health reporter, and has also covered small towns, courts and education in Connecticut and New Jersey. She was a finalist in 2009 for the prestigious Livingston Award for Young Journalists, a recipient of a Knight Science Journalism Fellowship and the third-place winner in 2013 for an in-depth piece on caregivers from the National Association of Health Journalists. She is a 2004 graduate of Yale University.

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