With a week left to enroll, less than half as many Louisiana consumers are picking ACA plans

Dec. 13--Nearly 51,000 Louisiana consumers selected individual health plans during the first five weeks of open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act, according to figures released Wednesday by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

It was the first time the federal government released state-by-state enrollment figures. Open enrollment ends Dec. 15. During last year's enrollment period, more than 143,000 Louisiana consumers selected a health plan through Healthcare.gov, the online marketplace. However, roughly 20,000 of them either didn't pay their premiums or dropped coverage at some point.

Nationwide some 4.7 million people enrolled in health plans through Healthcare.gov during the first five weeks of open enrollment. During last year's open enrollment period, which was twice the current 45-day enrollment period, 12.2 million consumers enrolled.

Health industry members had predicted enrollment would plunge for 2018 plans, in large part because the Trump administration slashed the advertising budget for the ACA and cut the enrollment period in half. Early figures showed much higher numbers of consumers were enrolling, and the current numbers are still higher than at the five-week mark a year ago.

But some are questioning whether enrollment will reach last year's levels.

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