Open enrollment 400,000 lower this year than last
Open enrollment this year is 9.2 million consumers, compared to 9.6 million consumers last year.
The total number of people signing up for Affordable Care Act coverage on Healthcare.gov this open enrollment season is 9.2 million, compared to 9.6 million consumers who signed up last year.
Open enrollment last year ended with about 12.7 million plan selections, but that included both the 9.6 million signing up through Healthcare.gov platform and 3.1 million who selected a plan through state-based marketplaces.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said it expected to release a more detailed report that includes plan selections across all states in March.
This year's open enrollment ended on January 31. About a third, or three million of those signing up on Healthcare.gov were new consumers and 6.2 million were returning marketplace consumers.
[Also: ACA open enrollment defies 'death spiral' prediction based on premium changes]
During its last week advertising was pulled promoting the Healthcare.gov.
Many Republicans and President Donald Trump have voiced support for repealing Obamacare and replacing it with a GOP plan. There is yet no consensus on a plan.
CMS said in its Friday release that the market this year saw a 25 percent premium increase over the previous year in the average price for the second-lowest-cost silver plan.
An estimated 28 percent fewer insurers participated in the ACA this year, CMS said.
Open enrollment began November 1. For the last two weeks, from Jan. 15 to Jan. 31, 376,260 consumers signed up.
Twitter: @SusanJMorse
