Health insurance enrollment on the federal Obamacare exchange marketplaces is down from last year. Given the way President Donald Trump’s administration has handled the program, it almost counts as good news that it didn’t dip even lower.
In the 39 states whose residents use the federal HealthCare.gov to enroll, 8.8 million people signed up for private insurance policies for 2018, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced Thursday. The total will likely be at least slightly higher than 8.8 million because the agency is still processing some applications.
The 8.8 million is down about 4 percent from the 9.2 million people who had signed up by the end of the campaign last year, which was down from the 9.6 million who had done so the year before. New customers made up 2.4 million of that total, down from the almost 3 million new enrollees who signed up for 2017 plans.
The six-week open enrollment period in those 39 states, plus the state-run exchanges in Idaho and Vermont, ended last Friday. Ten states and the District of Columbia have later deadlines, and people in many states can still enroll through federal exchanges under special circumstances.
Total nationwide enrollment will be considerably higher than 8.8 million when the other states ― which include California and New York ― tally their results. Early reports from state-based exchanges show higher enrollment than last year.
Lower enrollment overall remains likely because the vast majority of states use the federal system. That isn’t a good thing: It means fewer Americans who don’t get health coverage from their employers or a government program like Medicaid or Medicare will be covered next year.
Nevertheless, there are a lot of reasons to be surprised sign-ups didn’t fall further and to view the latest figures as an indicator of the staying power of the health insurance exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act.
In the 39 states whose residents use the federal HealthCare.gov to enroll, 8.8 million people signed up for private insurance policies for 2018, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced Thursday. The total will likely be at least slightly higher than 8.8 million because the agency is still processing some applications.
The 8.8 million is down about 4 percent from the 9.2 million people who had signed up by the end of the campaign last year, which was down from the 9.6 million who had done so the year before. New customers made up 2.4 million of that total, down from the almost 3 million new enrollees who signed up for 2017 plans.
The six-week open enrollment period in those 39 states, plus the state-run exchanges in Idaho and Vermont, ended last Friday. Ten states and the District of Columbia have later deadlines, and people in many states can still enroll through federal exchanges under special circumstances.
Total nationwide enrollment will be considerably higher than 8.8 million when the other states ― which include California and New York ― tally their results. Early reports from state-based exchanges show higher enrollment than last year.
Lower enrollment overall remains likely because the vast majority of states use the federal system. That isn’t a good thing: It means fewer Americans who don’t get health coverage from their employers or a government program like Medicaid or Medicare will be covered next year.
Nevertheless, there are a lot of reasons to be surprised sign-ups didn’t fall further and to view the latest figures as an indicator of the staying power of the health insurance exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act.
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