CMS reports record number signing up for ACA plans
Over 18% of consumers signing up for a plan are new to the marketplace, including some who formerly had Medicaid coverage.
Photo: HealthCare.gov
Over 20 million people have selected an Affordable Care Act health plan since the 2024 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period launched on November 1, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, calling this a record number of enrollments.
This compares to 16.3 million people signing up last year.
It includes consumers who were formerly on Medicaid who turned to the ACA for continued health insurance coverage, CMS said. The federal government estimates about 2.7 million people who had Medicaid would qualify for financial help for an ACA plan.
Open enrollment would normally end on January 15, but because of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, consumers have until January 16 to select a plan. Consumers who enroll by midnight on January 16 can get coverage that starts February 1. State-based marketplace enrollment deadlines may vary.
The data released in a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services snapshot represents activity through December 23, which is week 8, for the 32 states using HealthCare.gov, and for the 18 states and the District of Columbia with state-based marketplaces.
Total plan selections include more than 3.7 million people (18% of total) who are new to the marketplace for 2024, and 16.6 million people (82% of total) who had active 2023 coverage and selected a plan for 2024 coverage or were automatically re-enrolled.
WHY THIS MATTERS
The Biden administration has supported the ACA through continued provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act that gives eligible consumers subsidies for plans. CMS said it expects nine out of 10 customers to be eligible for savings.
States began Medicaid redeterminations on April 1, 2023, as the COVID-19 public health emergency was winding down.
For this past enrollment cycle, the administration issued almost $100 million in Navigator Awards, allowing organizations to hire staff who are trained to help consumers find affordable, comprehensive health coverage, according to HHS. The Trump administration had slashed funding for navigators.
THE LARGER TREND
In past years, Republicans have made a campaign issue out of repealing the ACA. GOP frontrunner Donald Trump continues to attack Obamacare and vows to try again to repeal and replace it.
However, with 60% of Americans holding a favorable view of the ACA, according to The Hill, the former president is getting less GOP support, with lawmakers saying it's unlikely to happen.
Email the writer: SMorse@himss.org
