Affordable Care Act Marketplace Enrollment Up by 1.8M From Last Year

Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace enrollment has grown 18 percent from last year, with 11.5 million people signing up for coverage as of December 15, 2022, HHS announced.

“Unprecedented investments lead to unprecedented results. Under President Biden’s leadership, we have strengthened the Affordable Care Act Marketplace with continued record affordability, robust competition, and historic outreach efforts – and today’s enrollment numbers reflect that,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in the press release.

Enrollment continues to exceed previous years, as 1.8 million more people have signed up for coverage on HealthCare.gov compared to the December 15 deadline in 2021. This marks the deadline for coverage that will start on January 1, 2023.

The increase in enrollment reflects the Biden Administration’s efforts to expand access to health insurance and reduce healthcare costs.

“Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, four out of five customers will be able to find a plan for $10 or less. As we head into the new year, there is no greater gift than the peace of mind that comes with having high-quality, affordable health care. There is still time to sign up until January 15 – visit HealthCare.gov today,” Becerra added.

Under the Inflation Reduction Act, the enhanced premium tax credits part of the American Rescue Plan Act have been extended for three years, increasing access to affordable health insurance plans on the ACA marketplace.

According to HHS, 92 percent of enrollees will have access to options from three or more insurance companies when selecting plans, highlighting the competition in the marketplace. The Biden Administration has also facilitated plan comparison and selection by creating standardized plans that offer similar benefits at the same cost.

“This year, we’re so pleased to see so many new enrollees on Healthcare.gov, taking advantage of expanded financial assistance and new eligibility to purchase affordable, comprehensive health care coverage that they can use to help keep them and their families healthy,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure.

“We look forward to a strong final month of Open Enrollment and encourage everyone who needs quality health insurance to visit HealthCare.gov and CuidadoDeSalud.gov to view plan options by January 15.”

Coverage options that are made by January 15, 2023, will go into effect starting February 1, 2023.

The ACA marketplace gained 5.8 million new enrollees in the 2022 open enrollment season, leading to a total of 14.5 million signups. This growth helped contribute to the record-low uninsurance rate of 8 percent in the first quarter of 2022.

ACA enrollment has seen significant growth since the 2023 open enrollment season began. The Biden Administration announced that enrollment in November 2022 was 40 percent higher than in November 2021.