More Than 140,000 Residents Sign Up For Mass. Healthcare Plans

BOSTON (AP) — Federal health officials say more than 140,000 people signed up for, or were automatically re-enrolled in, health insurance plans in Massachusetts during the recent open enrollment period.

That's according to a report released Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Of those 140,000, about 66 percent qualified for financial assistance to help with the cost of monthly premiums.

The Massachusetts open enrollment period began on Nov. 15 and was to expire Feb. 15, but was extended by another week because of the heavy snows.

Health officials said nationwide nearly 11.7 million people selected a plan or were automatically enrolled in plans.

Of those, 76 percent were in states using the HealthCare.gov platform and 24 percent were in the 14 states, including Massachusetts, using their own marketplace websites.

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