Access Health CT, the state's insurance exchange, said it has now signed up more than 23,000 people for health plans.
Just under 40 percent of those signing up were eligible for Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program. Forty percent are receiving plans on the private market, but with a government subsidy.
About 20 percent of enrollees are in the coveted 18-to-34 age bracket. The exchange needs good participation from young, healthy individuals to make the system work.
Exchange CEO Kevin Counihan said he believes that in the future, many employers are going to decide to opt out of providing health insurance, instead giving their workers a cash benefit to buy a plan through the exchange. He said that puts an extra onus on the system to provide newly independent consumers with the best education about health insurance.
Counihan said, "The research that we have shows that one of the most significant demands that our market wants, and expectations of us as an exchange, is, 'Help me find the most value in picking a plan.' It's different than just, 'Find the lowest-cost plan.' It's different than just, 'Find the plan with my doctor in it.' It's, 'How do I get the best deal that's right for me and my family?'"
Connecticut is thought to have about 344,000 people currently without insurance.
