Mississippi is one of the ten states where ACA Medicaid expansion still hasn't gone through a full decade after it could have.

A few years ago, Medicaid expansion in Mississippi looked like it might actually happen: While the states GOP Governor and Republican supermajority-controlled state legislature opposed it, in May 2021 there was a strong grassroots effort to put a statewide initiative on the ballot to push it through regardless, exactly how it happened in other deep red states like Utah, Nebraska, Idaho and South Dakota.

Unfortunately, just a few weeks later, the Mississippi Supreme Court crushed that effort:

Hmmm...that's the actual headline in the press release, but the actual numbers may tell a slightly different story...

via Covered California:

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Heading into the final week of open enrollment, Covered California has continued to see signups surge. As of Jan. 20, over 243,000​ Californians have newly enrolled in coverage for 2024, a 13 percent increase over the same period last year. Over 1.5 million Covered California enrollees have renewed their coverage.

There is still time for uninsured Californians to sign up for coverage through Covered California, but only until Jan. 31.

“If you don’t have health insurance for yourself or your family, now is the time to enroll,” said Covered California Executive Director Jessica Altman. “With enhanced federal subsidies and a new state program to lower out-of-pocket costs, there has never been more help available to make quality health insurance more affordable and more attainable.”

via DC Health Link:

DC Health Link Open Enrollment Runs Through Next Wednesday, January 31, 2024; Communities Can Attend Free In-Person Enrollment Events

Washington, DC– Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser and DC Health Link are reminding residents that there is one week left to sign up for high-quality, affordable health insurance through DCHealthLink.com, the District’s online state-based health insurance marketplace. Open Enrollment is now open for DC individuals and families and runs through January 31, 2024.

“There is still time to enroll in health insurance before the January 31 deadline. We encourage residents to visit DCHealthLink.com and select a health plan that is right for you and your family,” said Mayor Bowser. “In addition to our online enrollment service, there are a number of outreach events in the coming days where you can get in-person assistance enrolling in high-quality health plans.”

via the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services:

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reports that 21.3 million consumers have signed up for 2024 individual market health insurance coverage through the Marketplaces since the start of the 2024 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period (OEP) on November 1. This includes 16.4 million Marketplace plan selections in the 32 states using the HealthCare.gov platform for the 2024 plan year through the end of the OEP on January 16, 2024 (Week 11+), and 4.9 million plan selections in the 18 states and the District of Columbia with State-based Marketplaces (SBMs) that are using their own eligibility and enrollment platforms, through January 13, 2024 (Week 11) or the end of their OEP[1].  Total nationwide plan selections include 5 million consumers (24% of total) who are new to the Marketplaces for 2024, and 16.3 million consumers (76% of total) who have active 2023 coverage and returned to their respective Marketplaces to renew or select a new plan for 2024. 

via the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services:

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. 

Hmmm...OK, I got out over my skis a bit, but this is still an amazing announcement:

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.

via Nevada Health Link:

Over 99,000 Nevadans Enrolled in Health Insurance During Nevada Health Link’s Open Enrollment Period

  • This year marks the State marketplace’s second largest Open Enrollment ever.

(CARSON CITY, NV) – Nevada’s health insurance marketplace, NevadaHealthLink.com, recently wrapped up its two-and-a-half-month Open Enrollment Period on January 15, and final numbers revealed that this year’s enrollment numbers outpaced last year’s totals by 3%. This makes for the second-largest enrollment in the state’s marketplace history, with 99,312 Nevadans enrolling in a Qualified Health Plan and 20,984 enrolling in a Qualified Dental Plan.

I was a bit surprised to hear that this is the 2nd highest OEP enrollment in Nevada's history, but sure enough, they broke 101,000 back in 2022.

via City & State NY:

Monday marks the 51st anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the now-overturned Supreme Court decision that created the right to an abortion. The 51st may not be an anniversary you would typically mark, but it does fall on an election year. Although New York has long had abortion rights codified in state law, state lawmakers will celebrate the occasion by approving additional measures to expand access to reproductive care as Democrats again hope that the issue will drive voters to the polls in November in ways it hasn’t in the past. 

New York already has some of the strongest abortion protections in the country, but state lawmakers annually see an opportunity to expand on reproductive rights.

Vermont

via Black Chronicle New Service:

Nearly a decade after then-Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin nixed a plan for a publicly funded system, advocates have renewed a push to transform health care with a single-payer system.

About 60 House Democrats have signed onto a proposal that calls for eventually replacing private health insurance premiums in the state with a public financing system. This week, supporters of the plan announced the creation of a universal healthcare caucus to push for the approval of the single-payer system.

The bill’s primary sponsor, Rep. Brian Cina, D-Burlington, said despite efforts to bring down the rate of uninsured Vermonters, thousands of people are still without healthcare coverage. He said those who may be eligible for healthcare plans have “fallen through the holes of a tattered social safety net.”

via NPR by way of WSIU:

Over the past several months, a handful of community pharmacies in states where abortion remains legal have begun to take advantage of a new rule that allows them to fill prescriptions for the abortion pill mifepristone. Prior to the rule change, which was finalized last January by the Food and Drug Administration, pregnant people had to get the drug directly from their doctor or by mail if using telemedicine, depending on the laws in their state.

Reproductive health experts have said relaxing that requirement could help ease the growing burden on abortion clinics in states where abortion is legal. And perhaps nowhere is the potential for that greater than in Washington state, where efforts are underway to open up access to medication abortion in a radical new way: by training pharmacists not only to dispense abortion pills but also to prescribe them to their walk-in patients.

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