In the world of politics, HealthCare.gov is either a bold agent of health care system change or a demonic agent of those scoundrels in Washington.

In the world of health insurance sales, HealthCare.gov is just another distribution channel. The system handles Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act exchange enrollment for the states in which the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides exchange services.

HHS has still not persuaded the states running state-based exchanges to report their exchange performance data in the format HHS uses for HealthCare.gov, and HHS does not make it easy to compare data for the 2014 open enrollment period with data for the 2015 open enrollment period.

But HHS has been publishing data for all states on the number of people known to have selected qualified health plan coverage through a PPACA exchange through Feb. 22, and the number of QHP selectors in each state who are new to the exchange system.

The numbers reflect the number of people who are on track to have QHP coverage. In many cases, the plan selectors have not yet paid for coverage. HHS considers consumers to be official QHP enrollees once they have "effectuated" their coverage by making premium payments.

The second annual open enrollment period officially started Nov. 15 and ended Feb. 15. Most states offered access to broad enrollment period extensions for at least a few days, and taxpayers who say they learn about the PPACA individual mandate penalty when they file their 2014 taxes will get a special enrollment period that will last from March 15 through April 30 in most of the country.

The total number of selectors has increased about 34 percent between April 19, 2014, and Feb. 22, 2015 — after the official end of the enrollment period and before the tax season enrollment period.

Read: PPACA enrollment extension could hurt carriers

Enrollment changes ranged from a decrease of 17 percent in Vermont, a state that was notoriously cold toward agents and brokers as it was setting up its state-based exchange, up to an increase of 343 percent in Massachusetts, a state that had terrible technical problems in 2014.

Aside from Massachusetts, the state with the strongest QHP selector growth was Louisiana. Insurers have attracted 186,277 residents of that state to exchange QHPs for 2015, 83 percent from the April 2014 selector total.

Exchange managers in five states — Idaho, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada and Oregon — are counting all 2015 QHP enrollees as new QHP selectors.

In the other states, the percentage of QHP business coming from QHP selectors who are new to the system ranges from 14 percent in Vermont, and 26 percent in the District of Columbia, up to 75 percent in Hawaii.

In some states, the change in the percentage of business coming from "new cases," rather than re-enrollment of existing exchange customers, may reflect the effects of technical problems that occurred last year or this year. In other states, the change may reflect fluctuations in the percentage of residents who have access to employer-sponsored coverage, or to Medicaid programs or other government health programs.

But, in some states, the change in numbers may reflect how well HealthCare.gov is doing at going out for business.

For a look at the top five generators of new exchange business (excluding the states that counted all QHP selectors as new selectors), read on.

5. Texas

Total number of 2015 exchange QHP selectors: 1,295,174

Percentage of QHP selectors who are new to the exchange system: 57%

Growth in number of QHP selectors between 2014 and 2015: 64%

Bourbon Street in New Orleans

4. Louisiana

Total number of 2015 exchange QHP selectors: 186,277

Percentage of QHP selectors who are new to the exchange system: 58%

Growth in number of QHP selectors between 2014 and 2015: 83%

Charleston, South Carolina

3. South Carolina

Total number of 2015 exchange QHP selectors: 210,331

Percentage of QHP selectors who are new to the exchange system: 58%

Growth in number of QHP selectors between 2014 and 2015: 78%

Map showing Minneapolis

2. Minnesota

Total number of 2015 exchange QHP selectors: 59,704

Percentage of QHP selectors who are new to the exchange system: 60%

Growth in number of QHP selectors between 2014 and 2015: 23%

1. Hawaii

Total number of 2015 exchange QHP selectors: 12,625

Percentage of QHP selectors who are new to the exchange system: 75%

Growth in number of QHP selectors between 2014 and 2015: 47%

HHS data for all states

New HHS exchange customers
	Share of 2015 enrollees who are new to the exchange	Total 2015 exchange QHP selectors	Total 2014 exchange QHP selectors	Change in total QHP selectors
Alabama	54%	171,641	97,870	75%
Alaska	52%	21,260	12,890	65%
Arizona	48%	205,666	120,071	71%
Arkansas	44%	65,684	43,446	51%
California	35%	1,412,200	1,405,102	1%
Colorado	28%	140,327	125,402	12%
Connecticut	38%	109,839	79,192	39%
Delaware	51%	25,036	14,087	78%
District of Columbia	26%	18,465	10,714	72%
Florida	55%	1,596,296	983,775	62%
Georgia	55%	541,080	316,543	71%
Hawaii	75%	12,625	8,592	47%
Idaho	100%	97,079	76,061	28%
Illinois	50%	349,487	217,492	61%
Indiana	50%	219,185	132,423	66%
Iowa	53%	45,162	29,163	55%
Kansas	52%	96,197	57,013	69%
Kentucky	26%	106,330	82,747	29%
Louisiana	58%	186,277	101,778	83%
Maine	47%	74,805	44,258	69%
Maryland	100%	120,145	67,757	77%
Massachusetts	100%	140,540	31,695	343%
Michigan	42%	341,183	272,539	25%
Minnesota	60%	59,704	48,495	23%
Mississippi	56%	104,538	61,494	70%
Missouri	52%	253,430	152,335	66%
Montana	41%	54,266	36,584	48%
Nebraska	53%	74,152	42,975	73%
Nevada	100%	73,596	45,390	62%
New Hampshire	40%	53,005	40,262	32%
New Jersey	48%	254,316	161,775	57%
New Mexico	51%	52,358	32,062	63%
New York	35%	408,841	370,451	10%
North Carolina	51%	560,357	357,584	57%
North Dakota	45%	18,171	10,597	71%
Ohio	47%	234,341	154,668	52%
Oklahoma	54%	126,115	69,221	82%
Oregon	100%	112,024	68,308	64%
Pennsylvania	41%	472,697	318,077	49%
Rhode Island	32%	31,337	28,485	10%
South Carolina	58%	210,331	118,324	78%
South Dakota	47%	21,393	13,104	63%
Tennessee	53%	231,440	151,352	53%
Texas	57%	1,205,174	733,757	64%
Utah	49%	140,612	84,601	66%
Vermont	14%	31,619	38,048	-17%
Virginia	54%	385,154	216,356	78%
Washington state	37%	160,732	163,207	-2%
West Virginia	49%	33,421	19,856	68%
Wisconsin	44%	207,349	139,815	48%
Wyoming	48%	21,092	11,970	76%

HHS data for all states

New HHS exchange customers

Instant Insights /

5 states where new public exchange business poured in

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