After calling them out for some sloppy summary numbers which understated the enrollment drop by over 144,000 people out of the gate, I delved into the meat of their false argument:
...the above is fairly minor compared to the most egregiously misleading claim in the WSJ piece, which appears in the next paragraph:
The Congressional Budget Office’s ObamaCare baseline in 2024 assumed 18.9 million people would enroll in plans this year if the enhanced subsidies vanished.
On the surface it looks legit: As of July 2024, the CBO projected that ACA Marketplace Enrollment (both subsidized & unsubsidized combined) would indeed be around 18.9 million people in 2026.
Earlier today the New Jersey Dept. of Banking & Insurance put out a press release urging NJ residents to enroll in ACA coverage ahead of the final enrollment deadline on Saturday, January 31st.
The release also included some enrollment stats (including some pretty depressing ones), as well as a link to Get Covered NJ's Week 9 enrollment report:
As of January 2, 2026, a total of 493,727 residents are signed up for 2026 health coverage with Get Covered New Jersey, including 50,108 new consumers and 203,836 consumers who actively selected a plan. During the 2025 plan year, a total of 481,151 residents were signed up for 2025 health coverage with Get Covered New Jersey, including 70,507 new consumers as of January 2, 2025. The number of new consumers enrolling in coverage has decreased by nearly 30% in plan year 2026.
TRENTON — As the January 31 final deadline for Open Enrollment approaches, New Jersey residents still in need of health insurance are encouraged to explore plan options for 2026 through Get Covered New Jersey, the State’s Official Health Insurance Marketplace, New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance Acting Commissioner Susan Ochs said today, reminding residents that financial help and community-based enrollment assistance remains available.
Open Enrollment is the only time of year residents can enroll in a plan, unless they have a major life event, such as marriage, pregnancy, or a move that qualifies them for a Special Enrollment Period.
Marketplace 2026 Open Enrollment Period (OEP) Report: National Snapshot
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reports that 23.0 million consumers have signed up for 2026 individual market health insurance coverage through the Marketplaces since the start of the 2026 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period (OEP) on November 1, 2025.
This includes 15.8 million Marketplace plan selections in the 30 states using the HealthCare.gov platform for the 2026 plan year and 7.2 million plan selections in the 20 states and the District of Columbia with state-based Exchanges (SBEs) that are using their own eligibility and enrollment platforms.[1]
Coming out of open enrollment, Health Connector enrollment for 2026 is slightly higher than it was at the end of 2025.
Health Connector individual market enrollment for 2026 is 391,744, a 1.6 percent increase compared to total unique enrollees in November and December 2025
Open enrollment through Washington Healthplanfinder ends, with federal actions and lapsed tax credits creating uncertainty and higher costs
Open enrollment concluded Jan. 15 with a record number of Washingtonians receiving Cascade Care Savings
OLYMPIA, Wash. – More than 290,000 Washingtonians selected a plan for 2026 health and dental insurance through Washington Healthplanfinder during open enrollment. Washington Health Benefit Exchange runs Washington Healthplanfinder, the state’s online marketplace for Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance.
Expiring enhanced premium tax credits (ePTCs) increased many people’s monthly costs. Around 40,000 fewer Washingtonians are receiving premium tax credits in 2026 than 2025. Some customers saw significant increases in their health insurance premiums, resulting in more than 61,000 customers changing their plans.
Two things are true as of today: 2026 ACA Open Enrollment has ended...and 2026 ACA Open Enrollment is still going on (in some states).
The official Open Enrollment Period is over in 43 states...but residents of the other 7 (plus DC) still have time to enroll for coverage starting either February 1st or March 1st!
The bottom line is that Connecticut enrollees who earn between 100 - 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) will have 100% of the lost federal tax credits backfilled, while enrollees who earn between 400 - 500% FPL will have half (50%) of their lost subsidies covered:
The state subsidies are currently in place for one year.
Here is a chart to show the annual income by household size for eligible groups:
BOSTON—Massachusetts residents have just days remaining to get health insurance coverage through the Massachusetts Health Connector, including access to help paying for a plan through the ConnectorCare program, with the January 23 deadline looming.
Open Enrollment is the time of year when anyone who needs health insurance can get covered. The Health Connector provides access to commercial plans, and access to subsidies to help pay for those plans. While some federal funding through enhanced Premium Tax Credits has expired due to inaction by Congressional Republicans and President Trump, earlier this month, Governor Maura Healey announced an increased investment of $250 million by the state in the ConnectorCare program, making premiums more affordable for enrollees.
