As the nation prepares to launch the Health Exchanges under the Affordable Care Act Maryland state officials expect to sign up to 5-thousand uninsured in the tri-county area of Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester by March 31st , which is the end of open enrollment.
That’s out of 23-thousand that are not insured.
And state health officials estimate that 90 percent of those uninsured would actually quality for a federal subsidy to buy insurance.
The Salisbury Daily Times reports that 14 percent of resident under the age of 65 in the three counties lack health coverage compared to 12 percent statewide.
Somerset County ranks last within the state at 26 percent of its households living below the federal poverty level.
Those at 138 percent of the poverty level and below in Maryland and Delaware should be eligible for Medicaid.
