NY’s Health Exchange Facing Late Influx

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — With insurance through New York's health exchange starting next year, thousands of policyholders have to change coverage while even more uninsured are signing up for new policies.

Facing a late influx of applications, the exchange has pushed back enrollment deadlines twice, most recently to midnight Tuesday for policies effective Jan. 1. Unlike the federal exchange operating in many states, New York established its own, which has had some but far fewer software problems.

About 100,000 New Yorkers lost policies deemed non-compliant with the federal Affordable Care Act, including sole business proprietors insured through their professional associations or chambers of commerce.

By Monday, the state exchange says 421,949 New Yorkers completed applications for individual or family coverage while 188,546 of them have enrolled in a plan or Medicaid.