Pennsylvania Launches Its Own Health Insurance Website

Pennsylvania is preparing to launch its own web site to sell Affordable Care-Compliant policies that will replace the federally administered Healthcare.gov, state officials said Tuesday.

It will be called “Penny,” and lawmakers approved the plan last year to get more people into insurance, lower their insurance costs and save money for the state government.

Pennsylvania residents can register for an account on the website once it launches, and the site should be operational by the end of September. From November 1st to January 15th, shoppers can search and buy suitable insurance plans there.

People who purchased policies from the Healthcare.gov marketplace will be notified to switch to Pennie. Government officials say they will start selling policies at the new site to gain public attention.
Governor Tom Wolff’s administration said it expects premiums to be reduced by 5-10% for the approximately 400,000 people purchasing policies on Healthcare.gov.

Officials also say they are hiring certified brokers and assistants, and they will have customer service centers to help people sign up for plans.
They also say they spend more money than the federal government on helping people enroll and more enrollment activities. They say they will be conducting registration activities in each county, with a focus on the areas with the highest rates of uninsured.