TRENTON – More than 307,000 residents have signed up for health insurance through the state’s Get Covered New Jersey portal, a 21% increase from a year ago and the most in a year since Affordable Care Act marketplaces debuted in 2014.

The enrollment deadline is Jan. 31. After that point, people can only enroll if they have a major life event, such as getting married, having a baby, moving or losing job-based health coverage.

The Department of Banking and Insurance credited federal and state policies providing people with additional financial support to afford coverage and said a majority of people receiving help have access to plans costing them $10 a month or less.

“More New Jersey residents are now signed up for health insurance on the marketplace than ever before,” said Banking and Insurance Commissioner Marlene Caride. “These individuals have quality, affordable health insurance at a time when coverage and care could not be more important.”

The state said that as of Jan. 2, 307,292 residents had signed up for coverage through the state’s marketplace, including around 215,000 who had automatically renewed their coverage and more than 90,000 who actively selected plans, some of whom were return consumers.

The number of signups is up by 53,000 from a year ago.

The federal American Rescue Plan increased financial help and limits a person’s health insurance premiums to 8.5% of their income.

The state expanded its subsidies to people with incomes up to 600% of the federal poverty line, rather than 400%. That brings the threshold to $77,280 for an individual and $159,000 for a family of four. More than 26,000 signed up through that expansion, receiving nearly $250 a month in savings.

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People in New Jersey are required to have health coverage, similar to the provision that used to be in the ACA from 2016 to 2018. Unless they qualify for an exemption, people without health coverage pay a penalty when they file their income taxes.

Michael Symons is State House bureau chief for New Jersey 101.5. Contact him at michael.symons@townsquaremedia.com.

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