With Enrollment Deadline Only Days Away, Sign-Ups Are Surging Over Last Year’s Pace
But the total numbers for 2018 are still likely to fall short of this year's because of the shorter enrollment period. So far, about 1.4 million new customers have signed up this year, and 3.3 million people re-enrolled.
The New York Times:
Strong Demand For Health Insurance As Deadline Looms
More than one million people signed up last week for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, pushing the total in the federal marketplace to nearly 4.7 million, the Trump administration said Wednesday, days before the annual enrollment period is scheduled to end. The number of sign-ups on HealthCare.gov from Nov. 1 through Saturday was about 17 percent higher than the same time last year. But the final tally is likely to fall short of the 9.2 million who were in plans at the end of the last open enrollment period, which was twice as long as the current one. (Pear, 12/13)
Modern Healthcare:
Signups For 2018 Exchange Coverage Hit 4.7 Million In First Six Weeks
Nearly 4.7 million people signed up for an insurance plan through HealthCare.gov in the first six weeks of the Affordable Care Act's open enrollment this year. At the same time last year, a little more than 4 million people had signed up for a plan. But because this year's open enrollment period is half as long as in previous years, the ACA exchanges have a lot of catching up to do to reach last year's enrollment total of 9.2 million HealthCare.gov plan selections. (Livingston, 12/13)
Reuters:
Obamacare Sign-Ups Rise But Overall Enrollment Set To Fall
The number of consumers who signed up for 2018 Obamacare health insurance surpassed the 1 million mark in the second-to-last week of enrollment, the government said on Wednesday, but it did not appear to be enough to grow the program. The Trump administration has worked to undercut former President Barack Obama's national healthcare law by decreasing advertising and discussing ending the mandate that Americans have health insurance, which has weighed on 2018 enrollment. (Humer, 12/13)
The Washington Post:
Enrollment In ACA Health Plans Up From Same Time Last Year, But Sign-Up Chance Dwindling
With three days remaining in most of the country to buy Affordable Care Act coverage for 2018, enrollment is ahead of the same time last year but is almost sure to fall short in the end because of a compressed enrollment season. During each of the six weeks of this sign-up period, the number of consumers choosing plans through the federal HealthCare.gov website has outmatched that of 2017, according to a federal enrollment snapshot released Wednesday. The overall sign-ups of nearly 4.7 million Americans through last Saturday was about 650,000 higher than through the parallel week a year ago. (Goldstein and Shaban, 12/13)
NPR:
HealthCare.Gov's Sign-Up For 2018 Health Insurance Ends Friday For Most
Friday is the last day to enroll in a health insurance plan through the federal government's insurance exchange, HealthCare.gov. And in a little office park in Northern Virginia, Brima Bob Deen is dealing with the rush. He is the president of a church-sponsored job training center called Salvation Academy. But this time of year, he acts mostly as an enrollment counselor for Affordable Care Act health plans. And this week, his calendar is full. (Kodjak, 12/13)
The Hill:
4.7M Have Signed Up For ObamaCare Plans
The strong numbers so far come despite cuts the Trump administration made to ObamaCare's advertising and outreach budget. The initial surge has also put the administration, which has long claimed the health-care law is failing, in a difficult spot. But if the final enrollment numbers are significantly lower than in the past, which many analysts expect, it could bolster the GOP's argument that ObamaCare is failing and needs to be repealed. (Hellmann, 12/13)
Marketplace:
California Consumers Are Buying Gold Health Insurance Plans In Record Numbers
Obamacare’s open enrollment period closes for most states Friday. Thanks to a complicated federal formula, a spike in premiums this year has given consumers who are eligible for subsidies more money to buy insurance. (Gorenstein, 12/13)
The Hill:
Maryland Extends ObamaCare Enrollment Deadline
Maryland is extending the deadline by one week for people to enroll in ObamaCare through its state exchange. The new deadline is Dec. 22. The previous deadline would have been Friday, the same date for states that use the healthcare.gov federal exchange. (Weixel, 12/13)
Georgia Health News:
Exchange Enrollment In State Likely To Fall Short Of Previous Total
Georgia’s ACA exchange enrollment for 2018 may fall far short of the current year’s totals, new federal figures show.Through last week, 246,270 have signed up for coverage in the state exchange. (Miller, 12/13)
The Philadelphia Inquirer/Philly.com:
Obamacare Signups Surge Across Nation As Friday Deadline Looms; Here's How To Get Help In Philly Area
Enrollment in Affordable Care Act health insurance coverage sped up last week, the Trump administration said Wednesday, ahead of a Friday deadline that could catch some people by surprise. More than one million consumers chose plans on the ACA (or Obamacare) exchanges during the week that ended Saturday in the 39 states that use Healthcare.gov. That brought the total since enrollment started Nov. 1 close to 4.7 million, including 206,000 Pennsylvanians and 139,000 New Jersey residents. (Sapatkin, 12/13)
NPR:
Health Insurance Bargains Still Available For Many, But Deadline Looms
Gene Kern, 63, retired early from Fujifilm, where he sold professional videotape. "When the product became obsolete, so did I," he says, "and that's why I retired." Kern lives in Frederick, Md., and has been an enthusiastic enrollee in Maryland's health exchange since it began in 2014. But this fall he received a letter from his insurer explaining that the cost of his policy's premium would jump from $800 a month to $1,300 in 2018. (Simmons-Duffin and Farmer, 12/14)
Meanwhile, a new report touts the benefits of the Affordable Care Act —
Los Angeles Times:
Obamacare Is Helping Patients Get To The Doctor And Pay Their Medical Bills, New Report Finds
Fewer Americans are putting off doctor visits or struggling with medical bills, according to a new report examining the effect of the Affordable Care Act. The report – based on a state-by-state survey of data collected by the federal government – provides powerful new evidence that insurance gains made through the 2010 healthcare law are helping millions of patients get needed medical care. (Levey, 12/13)
