Hawai‘i Health Connector officials estimate the average household that applied for financial assistance through the state exchange received a tax credit of approximately $85 on their monthly premium.
For individuals who were covered the entire year, this could total more than $1,000 in savings. About 4,300 individuals signed up for so-called advanced premium tax credits, available only through the online marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
Hawaii residents might see as much as $4.3 million in savings thanks to the Affordable Care Act, but the total amount of tax credits can be calculated only after individuals file their tax returns in 2015, the Connector said.
The Connector said 757 employers have signed up, and more than 1,035 employees have purchased insurance through the small-business program. It is not clear how much of a tax break companies will get for purchasing through the exchange.
The nonprofit organization created in 2011 is updating the figures nearly three weeks before the start of its second open enrollment period on Nov. 15.
The exchange has been plagued by problems since its inception, enrolling just 10,746 residents after a series of computer glitches left consumers frustrated and looking elsewhere for coverage.
It received $204.3 million in federal grants to build and operate the health insurance marketplace.
The Connector has also helped funnel more than 43,000 people to Medicaid, the state insurance program for low-income residents.
The Connector, which currently has 29 full-time workers, hasn’t disclosed its plan to keep operations afloat once its federal funds dry up at the end of 2015. It is charging a 2 percent issuer fee on plans sold on the exchange. The Legislature appropriated $1.5 million for operations in the first half of next year.
The organization has a tough road ahead in garnering community support, with only two health insurers, Hawaii Medical Service Association and Kaiser Permanente Hawaii, participating on the Connector.
HMSA recently announced it was pulling out of the small-business portion of the exchange, and all gubernatorial candidates have been critical of the Connector.
