Way back in October 2013, I launched the ACA Signups project as a light, nerdy hobby thing which was only supposed to last around six months, through the end of the first ACA Open Enrollment Period (March 31, 2014). Instead...well, let's just say that it's more than seven years later and I'm still doing this.

The reality is that The Graph itself doesn't serve a whole lot of useful function anymore. The enrollment patterns were erratic the first couple of years but have since settled into a pretty predictable...if not downright boring pattern for both the federal and state exchanges. The main reason I keep doing it each year is mostly out of tradition these days; after all, without The Graph, there wouldn't be an ACA Signups and I wouldn't have become a healthcare policy wonk in the first place.

Hot off the presses from Maryland Governor Larry Hogan's office (interestingly, the announcement is being made by him, not by the Maryland Health Connection ACA exchange itself, which is unusual):

Governor Hogan and Maryland Health Connection Announce Record Enrollment for Health Coverage

ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Larry Hogan today announced that more than 166,000 Marylanders enrolled in private health coverage for 2021 through Maryland Health Connection—the largest enrollment ever on the state’s health insurance marketplace—which represents a 4.5% increase of about 7,100 enrollees since the previous year.

“I am pleased to see so many Marylanders taking advantage of our state’s impressive health insurance marketplace, especially as we battle the COVID-19 pandemic, ” said Governor Hogan. “With one of the longest COVID-19 special enrollment periods in the country, we continue to work to increase healthcare access and affordability in Maryland.”

I first wrote about Laura Packard here 3 1/2 years ago when she was first diagnosed with Hodgkins, though I've known her personally for a good 15 years or so. When she was diagnosed, her outlook was bleak; fortunately, she has since recovered and is now doing great:

In the spring of 2017, I was diagnosed with cancer (stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma). After a grueling 6 months of chemotherapy and a month of radiation treatment, I am in remission. For now. Hopefully forever.

The Affordable Care Act saved my life. But all the time I was fighting cancer, I had to fight my own U.S. Senator and my President in order to keep my health insurance. The day after my first chemotherapy session, the Republican House voted to dismantle the ACA. The “skinny repeal” of Obamacare was voted down in the Senate by one vote a couple days before my 7th chemo session. And the day after my 15th radiation session, I was thrown out of my (former!) U.S. Senator’s public forum for asking him about his health care record.

via the Washington Health Benefit Exchange:

Washington Healthplanfinder Sees Surge in Customers as Final 2021 Deadline Approaches

• Select a plan by Jan. 15 for coverage that begins Feb. 1

People statewide flocked to Washington Healthplanfinder this week to beat the Dec. 15 deadline for health coverage that would start the first of the year. With that date now passed, Washingtonians still seeking 2021 health coverage have until Jan 15, 2021 to shop on Washington Healthplanfinder for coverage that begins February 1.

“We were glad to see the large number of enrollees come in and secure coverage that starts Jan. 1,” said Chief Executive Officer Pam MacEwan. “This year, in response to the public health emergency, we are providing additional time for those who didn’t enroll prior to Dec. 15 to sign up for 2021 coverage over the next month.”

A few weeks ago, Amy Lotven of Inside Health Policy reported on a clerical problem caused by a COVID-induced backlog at the IRS:

According to IRS National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins, IRS sent 1.8 million letters seeking more information from taxpayers who either failed to reconcile their tax credits or had discrepancies on their forms this year. But staff cuts and other problems stemming from the pandemic have stymied IRS’ work, and the agency still has about 1 million returns waiting to be processed, 3 million pieces of unopened mail and about 6.8 million individual returns still in process. As a result, even if taxpayers provided all requested information, the data that IRS shared with the marketplace might be inaccurate or incomplete, Collins says in a Nov. 25 blog published by the IRS’ Taxpayer Advocacy Service.

It's turned into an annual tradition: The official annual ACA Open Enrollment Period (OEP) runs from November 1st - December 15th, but most of the state-based ACA exchanges have later deadlines. hThen, right around the 12/15 point, it begins: One by one, some of the state-based exchanges announce further extensions of their deadlines to #GetCovered for the upcoming year.

In some cases they simply bump out the deadline for coverage starting in January, with the final "hard" deadline for February or March coverage staying where it is. In other cases they were never allowing Open Enrollment start dates past January to begin with, so it's the hard deadline which is being extended.

In any event, here's this year's batch of announcements; note that this list could grow longer over the next week or two:

via Access Health CT:

Access Health CT Extends 2021 Annual Open Enrollment Period As A Result Of Current Health Crisis

CT residents can shop and enroll in health insurance coverage until January 15, 2021

• Access Health CT extended the 2021 Annual Open Enrollment period until January 15, 2021 as a result of the current health crisis, providing more time for CT residents to get covered.

• If individuals choose a plan during the extension, the coverage will start on February 1, 2021.

• If customers are already covered by an insurance plan through Access Health CT for January 2021 and would like to pick a new plan starting in February 2021, they must first pay their January monthly bill (premium).

HARTFORD, Conn. (December 16, 2020)—Access Health CT (AHCT) today announced an extension for the 2021 Annual Open Enrollment period until January 15, 2021 as a result of the current health crisis, providing more time for CT residents to get covered.

via Connect for Health Colorado:

Connect for Health Colorado Offers Coloradans Through Dec. 18 to Enroll in Health Insurance Starting Jan. 1

DENVER — To help as many people as possible sign up for health insurance that begins on the first day of 2021, Connect for Health Colorado has decided to extend the deadline for January 1 coverage to this Friday, Dec. 18.

“Too many Coloradans have been left unemployed, uninsured and are struggling to get by as the pandemic grows,” said Chief Executive Officer Kevin Patterson. “By giving people a few extra days this week to get the coverage they need right on January 1st, we can ease some of the strain people are feeling. Financial help is available to reduce costs and local experts can also provide free enrollment assistance.”

Access Lower Premiums and Health Care Costs

Last week, Get Covered New Jersey, NJ's brand-new state-based ACA exchange, reminded New Jersey residents to enroll via Open Enrollment via the #GetCovered2021 campaign. The press release also mentioned, in passing, that nearly 227,000 NJ residents have already signed up for 2021, over 20,000 of whom are new enrollees.

Today, they posted a much more detailed breakout of their enrollment data so far, as well as reminding residents that unlike most states, New Jersey's Open Enrollment Period isn't over until the end of January, although they have to enroll by December 31st for coverage starting January 1st:

There's no formal press release, but Pennie, Pennsylvania's brand-new state-based ACA exchange just noted via their official Twitter account that they're extending the enrollment deadline for coverage starting January 1st by one week:

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT! We have extended the deadline! You now have until Tuesday, December 22 to select health coverage that begins New Year’s Day.

— Pennie (@PennieOfficial) December 15, 2020