Almost 14 million in U.S. have signed up for ACA coverage in 2022 so far, officials say

Health officials said Monday that almost 14 million people have so far signed up for medical coverage in 2022 through the Affordable Care Act before this week's deadline.

The Health and Human Services Department said the current open enrollment period has outpaced signups in 2020 by 21%. The tallies come from 33 states using HealthCare.gov.

"President [Joe] Biden promised to build on the Affordable Care Act and bring down the cost of health care, and these record numbers are proof that we delivered," Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement.

Officials said 4.6 million new enrollees gained coverage through the ACA in 2021.

"Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, more Americans across the country are gaining affordable health coverage than ever before, especially when we most need it during this pandemic," Becerra added. "We will continue to reach out and get people covered until the very last minute of the January 15th final deadline."

"As we ring in the New Year, we see that this open enrollment period continues to be like no other, with a record-setting number of people gaining health insurance through federal and state marketplaces," Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure said in a statement.

"For 13.8 million people, quality, affordable health insurance coverage is now a reality."

The deadline to sign up via HealthCare.gov is Saturday.