FILE - In this Aug. 7, 2017, file photo, Stephanie Richurk, a nurse at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, sorts blood samples collected from participants in the "All of Us" research program in Pittsburgh. The National Institutes of Health announced on Tuesday, May 1, 2018, that it will open nationwide enrollment and is seeking 1 million volunteers to share their DNA and medical records.
Dale Kang / AP Photo
Dale Kang / AP Photo
FILE - In this Aug. 7, 2017, file photo, Stephanie Richurk, a nurse at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, sorts blood samples collected from participants in the "All of Us" research program in Pittsburgh. The National Institutes of Health announced on Tuesday, May 1, 2018, that it will open nationwide enrollment and is seeking 1 million volunteers to share their DNA and medical records.
The number of Pennsylvanians who bought health insurance through the state’s health and dental coverage marketplace known as Pennie for 2023 was 371,516 – that’s roughly 3,000 fewer than the previous year.
Though the enrollment period has ended, if someone experiences a qualifying life event, they can still buy Pennie insurance and then access the subsidies that make the coverage more affordable. Such an event might include getting married or divorced, having a baby, turning 26, or a job loss.
Additionally, people whose incomes are at or below 150% of the federal poverty level can purchase Pennie insurance at any time throughout the year. Zach Sherman, who has served as executive director of the state-run exchange since 2019, says to qualify an individual must make $20,000 or less; the income of a family of four must be $41,000 or less.
According to Sherman, almost 90% of people who bought health insurance through Pennie this year received some form of subsidy: “Over 32% of our customers pay less than $50 a month, and over half of our customers are paying less than $150 a month.”
Some of these subsidies, noted Sherman, come from the Inflation Reduction Act. This legislation extends the financial aid for health insurance that started during the pandemic through 2025.
The Associated Press and WITF’s democracy reporter Jordan Wilkie are partnering to tell stories about how Pennsylvania elections work, and to debunk misinformation surrounding elections.
