Historic 21.3 Million People Choose ACA Marketplace Coverage
Marketplace enrollment climbs nearly 5 million higher than previous year
The Biden-Harris Administration announced 21.3 million people selected an Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Marketplace plan during the 2024 Open Enrollment Period. Total plan selections include more than five million people — about a fourth — who are new to the Marketplaces and 16 million people who renewed their coverage. Notably, open enrollment continues in four states and Washington, D.C., through January 31.
Statement by President Joe Biden on the Record-Breaking 2024 Open Enrollment Period Under the Affordable Care Act
Today, we broke another record when it comes to lowering costs and ensuring Americans have access to quality, affordable healthcare: 21.3 million Americans have signed up for health coverage through Affordable Care Act marketplaces. That means 9 million more people have gained coverage under the law - and peace of mind - since I took office. It’s no accident. My actions to protect the Affordable Care Act and lower premiums continue to make a big difference. And the American people have made it clear: they don’t want the Affordable Care Act weakened and repealed – they want it strengthened and protected.
...we could now be looking at anywhere from 21.4 - 22.7 million QHPs, for a grand total of somewhere between 22.7 - 24.0M QHPs+BHPs combined by the time the dust settles in every state on January 1st. I'll stick with 23M for the moment just in case...
A week later, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) posted their final pre-deadline Open Enrollment Snapshot Report, which confirmed that over 20.3 million people had selected Qualified Health Plans (QHPs) through December 23rd.
As promised, here's my full state-by-state breakout of the latest 2024 ACA Open Enrollment Period "Snapshot" report as we head into the final week of enrollment in most states.
Here's an overview of the year over year comparison. I had to adjust for the missing day (thru 12/23 instead of 12/24 last year). I've also had to adjust for the fact that Virginia moved from the federal exchange to its own platform this year:
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Over 20 Million Selected Affordable Health Coverage in ACA Marketplace Since Start of Open Enrollment Period, a Record High
As January 16 coverage deadline approaches, Biden-Harris Administration continues to encourage Americans to sign up for quality, affordable health care coverage
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced today that over 20 million people have selected an Affordable Care Act (ACA) Health Insurance Marketplace plan since the 2024 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period launched on November 1 — a record number of enrollments.
CMS's press release states that they won't be posting the next detailed/state-by-state enrollment breakout until January 10th, so aside from a handful of minor SBM updates here and there, there hasn't been much to report on the enrollment front since then...until this:
Normally, states will review (or "redetermine") whether people enrolled in Medicaid or the CHIP program are still eligible to be covered by it on a monthly (or in some cases, quarterly, I believe) basis.
However, the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), passed by Congress at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, included a provision requiring state Medicaid programs to keep people enrolled through the end of the Public Health Emergency (PHE). In return, states received higher federal funding to the tune of billions of dollars.
As a result, there are tens of millions of Medicaid/CHIP enrollees who didn't have their eligibility status redetermined for as long as three years.
Just 3 days ago, I posted a revised 2024 ACA Open Enrollment Period projection, in which I upgraded my prior projection from 18.5 million Americans signing up for either Qualified Health Plans (QHPs) or Basic Health Plans (BHPs) combined nationally to over 19 million doing so. That 18.5M projection was itself a drop from my original projection of 19M QHPs + BHPs combined from a month earlier.
I delved into the various reasons for both my original and revised projections, but the bottom line is that I figured it would end up being somewhere in the neighborhood of 19 - 19.5 million, give or take, likely broken out something like ~18 million QHPs plus another ~1.3 million BHPs in New York & Minnesota only.
I even included 20 million as an outside possibility.
Biden-Harris Administration Releases New Medicaid and CHIP Renewal Data Showing the Role State Policy Choices Play in Keeping Kids Covered
Sec. Becerra Calls on Nine States with the Highest Child Disenrollments to Immediately Take Up Proven Federal Flexibilities to Protect Children and Families; Biden-Harris Administration Extends Federal Flexibilities to States Until End of 2024
Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released new data on state Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollment changes among children and youth since full eligibility renewals for these programs restarted earlier this year. The data released today make it clear that state policy choices have real consequences for children and families during Medicaid and CHIP renewals. States that take up proven flexibilities and strategies from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) are better able to protect kids’ coverage – especially when the state has also expanded Medicaid.
Back on November 5th, just a few days into the 2024 Open Enrollment Period, I did some back-of-the-math number crunching and concluded that the odds were pretty good that total 2024 OEP ACA enrollment (including both exchange-based Qualified Health Plans, or QHPs, as well as enrollment in Basic Health Plans (BHPs) in New York & Minnesota only) would break 19 million people for the first time in the ACA's history.
