The fifth open enrollment period ended last week for Covered California. And officials are calling it strong, with over 423-thousand new signups, up three-percent over last year. The latest numbers for Nevada County, as of last September, show a more modest climb, of 120, at 6-thousand-740. Covered California Spokesman James Scullary credits increasingly effective outreach…

click to listen to James Scullary

Scullary says the uninsured rate in California has dropped by more than half since 2013, to six-point-eight percent. And although that hasn’t help bring rates down for many private and employer plans, he says Covered California consumers are not affected…

click to listen to James Scullary

Since 2014, more than three-point-four million people have purchased health insurance through Covered California, and nearly four-million have enrolled in Medi-Cal. Covered California Executive Director Peter Lee says dropping enrollment in states that rely on the federal government for marketing and promotion will directly translate to higher premiums, due to the worse risk mix.