Red States Drive Record Obamacare Enrollment With 21 Million Signing Up

Modern Healthcare: Open Enrollment Breaks 21M For 2024 
A record 21.3 million people signed up for health insurance in 2024 offered through the Affordable Care Act's marketplace, the Health and Human Services Department said Wednesday. The figures include more than 5 million new enrollees. Nearly 4.2 million people with incomes of less than 250% of the federal poverty level signed up for 2024 coverage, the agency said. (DeSilva, 1/24)

Axios: Obamacare Sign-Ups Surge, Especially In Red States
States with the largest year-over-year increase in sign-ups include West Virginia (80.2%), Louisiana (75.9%), Ohio (62.2%), Indiana (59.6%) and Tennessee (59.5%), according to data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which oversees the marketplaces. Seven other states saw increases of 45% or more: Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Texas. Enrollment in Texas increased by just over 1 million to 3.5 million. In Florida, enrollment increased by just shy of 1 million to 4.2 million, the most of any state. Enrollment decreased only in Maine (-2.6%) and Washington, D.C. (-1.4%). (Millman, 1/24)

The Texas Tribune: More Texans Than Ever Enrolled In ACA Health Plans, Feds Say 
More Texans than ever have signed up for cheap or free health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act, with more than 1 in 9 residents covered under government-subsidized health plans for 2024, according to federal health data released on Wednesday. (Harper, 1/24)

The Hill: Pelosi Sounds Warning Over Trump’s Attacks On ObamaCare
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Tuesday sounded the alarm on former President Trump’s attacks on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as she made the case that the 2024 presidential election ought to be about more than Trump’s criminal indictments. In an interview on MSNBC on Tuesday, Pelosi took aim at Trump’s recent statement that “ObamaCare sucks” and his claim to replace it with something better, saying Democrats should emphasize to voters that their health care could be at risk. (1/24, Fortinsky)

On the high cost of health care and drugs —

KFF Health News: The Colonoscopies Were Free. But The ‘Surgical Trays’ Came With $600 Price Tags
Chantal Panozzo and her husband followed their primary care doctors’ orders last year after they both turned 45, now the recommended age to start screening for colorectal cancer. They scheduled their first routine colonoscopies a few months apart. Panozzo said she was excited to get a colonoscopy, of all things, because it meant free care. The couple run a business out of their suburban home near Chicago and purchase coverage costing more than $1,400 each month for their family of four on the exchange, which was created by the Affordable Care Act. (Liss, 1/25)

Modern Healthcare: How PBM Legislation Could Affect Caremark, Express Scripts, OptumRx
The pharmacy benefit manager industry could look a lot different soon if Congress follows through with bipartisan efforts to pass bills governing the sector. PBMs such as CVS Caremark, Express Scripts and OptumRx would face new transparency requirements that would give health insurance companies, employers, customers and regulators new insights into how they negotiate prices for prescription medicines—and how much of the savings they generate find their way to patients and plan sponsors. Pending legislation also would prohibit lucrative practices such as spread pricing. (Berryman, 1/24)

Stat: FTC Says It's On 'An Incredible Winning Streak' Against Pharma
Over the past two years, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has attempted to crack down on the pharmaceutical industry over concerns that drug companies too often use various means to thwart competition that could otherwise lower prices for consumers. The agency is doing so as part of a wider effort by the Biden administration to address the controversy over prescription drug costs, which remains a pocketbook issue for many Americans. By tapping the FTC, the administration is hoping to send a message to drug companies that any moves to unfairly establish monopolies — and cost consumers money — will not be tolerated. (Silverman, 1/24)

On Medicaid coverage —

The Hill: Black Medicaid Patients More Likely To Be Hospitalized For Preventable Conditions: Analysis
An analysis published Wednesday found that Black Medicaid patients are more likely to be hospitalized for preventable conditions. The new analysis by the Urban Institute found that Black Medicaid enrollees were “significantly more likely” to be hospitalized for preventable reasons than white patients. Preventable conditions included asthma/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes and heart failure. (Sforza, 1/24)

Missouri Independent: MO Advocates Decry Medicaid Application Delays, Coverage Losses
Hannah Kaplanis applied to Missouri’s Medicaid program nearly two months ago, but hasn’t received any response from the state. Just shy of 18 weeks pregnant, she’s in need of prenatal care and growing increasingly hopeless. Aside from a free ultrasound in November, she hasn’t been able to access any care. She called Missouri’s Medicaid helpline earlier this month but had to hang up after waiting on hold for 45 minutes, and she is unable to apply for other insurance until she is out of Medicaid limbo. (Bates, 1/25)