One in every five Affordable Care Act applicants in Wisconsin has not yet paid their premium, according to the Wisconsin MacIver Institute.
New information from the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI) shows about 20% of applicants in Wisconsin have yet to pay their first month's bill, the think tank says. The news comes on the heels of a
Wisconsins State Insurance Commissioner Ted Nickel said about 47,000 people have signed up on the Wisconsin exchange, according to the most recent data available from insurance companies participating on the exchange.
"About 20% of the 47,000 enrollees have not paid as of yet," Nickel told the think tank. That means about 9,400 people still need to pay their first month's bill.
OCIs most recent data is for individuals who signed up for insurance with a Feb. 1 start date.
Federal data show 71,443 people have signed up for insurance on the Wisconsin exchange through the end of February, up from 56,435 at the end of January. That data is through March 1, however, MacIver notes.
Nickel said the state's enrollment figures may be slightly behind the federal figures, but argued OCI's information is the most accurate because it is directly from the insurance providers.
Consumers have until March 31 to sign up for insurance on the exchange, or they will not be able to sign up again until the next enrollment period in the fall.
