HHS Announces Continued Fast-Paced Enrollment With Nearly 5.5 Million Signing Up For Affordable Health Coverage In ACA Marketplace Since Start Of Open Enrollment Period

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued the following news release on Dec. 7, 2022:

The Biden-Harris Administration announced today that Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace enrollment continues to move at a fast pace--nearly 5.5 million people have selected an Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace health plan nationwide since the start of the 2023 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period (OEP) on November 1. This represents activity through December 3, 2022 (Week 5) for the 33 states using HealthCare.gov and through November 26, 2022 (Week 4) for 17 states and the District of Columbia with State-based Marketplaces (SBMs). Total plan selections include 1.2 million people (22% of total) who are new to the Marketplaces for 2023, and 4.3 million people (78% of total) who have active 2022 coverage and returned to their respective Marketplaces to renew or select a new plan for 2023. The 5.5 million total plan selections represent an 18% increase from 4.6 million this time last year.

The 2023 Marketplace OEP runs from November 1, 2022 to January 15, 2023 for states using the HealthCare.gov platform. People generally need to submit an application and choose a plan by December 15 for their coverage to start January 1. State-based Marketplace enrollment deadlines vary. State-specific deadlines and other information are available in the State-based Marketplace Open Enrollment Fact Sheet - (https://www.cms.gov/files/document/state-exchange-open-enrollment-chart.pdf).

"The numbers show it all. Thanks to President Biden's commitment to strengthening the ACA and investments to lower health care costs, people are signing up for coverage at unprecedented levels," said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. "We're continuing a fast pace of enrollment, but it's not over yet - and you do not want to miss your opportunity to get high-quality, affordable health care. There is no better gift this holiday season than the peace of mind that comes with health care coverage. Visit HealthCare.gov today."

"Providing quality, affordable health care options remains a top priority. We are incredibly pleased to see continued strong enrollment numbers in this second snapshot report, especially the increase in new enrollees. We are going to keep our focus on ensuring that all who seek health care coverage get the affordable, quality coverage they need," said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. "I encourage all those looking for affordable health care, or interested in exploring their options, to visit HealthCare.gov before the December 15 deadline for their coverage to begin on January 1."

The Biden-Harris Administration has made expanding access to health insurance and lowering health care costs for America's families a top priority, and under their leadership, the national uninsured rate reached an all-time low earlier this year.

The Biden-Harris Administration encourages all families to visit HealthCare.gov and check out the health care coverage options and savings available to them. This year, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, more people will continue to qualify for help purchasing quality health coverage with expanded financial assistance. Four out of five HealthCare.gov enrollees will be able to find a plan for $10 or less after tax credits. People with coverage through HealthCare.gov are encouraged to return and shop to see if another plan better meets their needs at a lower cost.

Individuals will also benefit from a highly competitive Marketplace. Ninety-two percent of HealthCare.gov enrollees will have access to options from three or more insurance companies when they shop for plans. Also, new standardized plan options are available in 2023 through HealthCare.gov, which offer the same deductibles and cost-sharing for certain benefits, and the same out-of-pocket limits as other standardized plans within the same health plan category, to help consumers compare and select plans. Most of these standardized plan options offer many services pre-deductible, including primary care, generic drugs, preferred brand drugs, urgent care, specialist visits, mental health and substance use outpatient office visits, as well as speech, occupational, and physical therapy.

Individuals can enroll or re-enroll in health insurance coverage for 2023 by visiting HealthCare.gov, or CuidadoDeSalud.gov, or by calling 1-800-318-2596 to fill out an application. Individuals wanting assistance signing up for coverage may go to Find Local Help on HealthCare.gov to find a Navigator, Certified Application Counselor, or agent or broker: https://www.healthcare.gov/find-assistance/.

Marketplace Enrollment Snapshot Overview:

To view the second Marketplace enrollment snapshot report, please visit: https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/marketplace-2023-open-enrollment-period-report-national-snapshot-2.

Find out more via key highlights and improvements - and infographic - for the Marketplace 2023 Open Enrollment Period. For more information about how to enroll in Marketplace coverage, visit HealthCare.gov, CuidadoDeSalud.gov or your State-based Marketplace.

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Endnotes

1/ The returning consumers metric in this report only includes consumers who have returned to their respective Marketplace through the reporting date and selected a plan for 2023 coverage, and excludes consumers who have been automatically re-enrolled in their 2022 plan for 2023 coverage or a suggested alternate plan. Please see the glossary for data on auto re-enrolled consumers that SBMs have reported to CMS.

2/ In addition to reported plan selections, New York and Minnesota have a Basic Health Program (BHP), which provides coverage to consumers with incomes below 200 percent of the FPL who are not eligible for Medicaid or CHIP and otherwise would be eligible for a QHP. From November 1 - November 26, 2022, New York had a total of 1,082,235 individuals enroll in a BHP. Minnesota's BHP data was not available at the time of this report.

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Original text here: https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2022/12/07/hhs-announces-continued-fast-paced-enrollment-nearly-5-5-million-signing-up-for-affordable-health-coverage-aca-marketplace-since-start-open-enrollment-period.html