The number of Pennsylvanians who bought health insurance through the state's health and dental coverage marketplace known as Pennie for 2023 was 371,516 – that’s roughly 3,000 fewer than the previous year.
Though the enrollment period has ended, if someone experiences a qualifying life event, they can still buy Pennie insurance and then access the subsidies that make the coverage more affordable. Such an event might include getting married or divorced, having a baby, turning 26, or a job loss.
Additionally, people whose incomes are at or below 150% of the federal poverty level can purchase Pennie insurance at any time throughout the year. Zach Sherman, who has served as executive director of the state-run exchange since 2019, says to qualify an individual must make $20,000 or less; the income of a family of four must be $41,000 or less.
According to Sherman, almost 90% of people who bought health insurance through Pennie this year received some form of subsidy: “Over 32% of our customers pay less than $50 a month, and over half of our customers are paying less than $150 a month.”
Some of these subsidies, noted Sherman, come from the Inflation Reduction Act. This legislation extends the financial aid for health insurance that started during the pandemic through 2025.
