Record-Breaking ACA Open Enrollment Gains 5.8M New Enrollees

CMS and HHS have announced that the Affordable Care Act marketplace gained 5.8 million new enrollees in the 2022 open enrollment season, contributing to a record-breaking 14.5 million signups.

“We are proud to have completed the Biden-Harris Administration’s inaugural Open Enrollment with a record-breaking 14.5 million Americans who now have high-quality, low-cost health coverage,” said Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra. “We will continue to deliver for the American people and work to ensure no one is left behind in getting access to the care they deserve.”

Most of the enrollees (10.3 million) lived in the 33 states that offered plans through HealthCare.gov. Washington, DC and the 17 remaining states which have their own state-based exchanges all accrued approximately 4.2 million enrollees.

Nearly eight out of every ten enrollees—11.5 million individuals—were already enrolled on the Affordable Care Act marketplace, according to the fact sheet.

Three million enrollees were uninsured before gaining coverage. This represents a 17 percent increase over the previous year. 

The population that saw the biggest increase in insurance coverage in 2022 was those with incomes that were below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Children also saw gains in health insurance coverage.

The announcement highlighted the cost-savings that enrollees experienced on the marketplace, with average monthly premiums dropping 23 percent compared to monthly premiums for open enrollment 2021. Nearly a third of all enrollees (32 percent) were able to acquire a plan with a monthly premium of $10 or less. CMS said that these cost savings were due to marketplace subsidy provisions in the American Rescue Plan.

“Investing in financial assistance and outreach allows more people to have access to the care that they need,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure.

Secretary Becerra and CMS reminded the public that open enrollment season has not closed for Washington, DC, California, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island, areas which extended their open enrollment periods through January 31, 2022. 

Additionally, residents in the District of Columbia, Colorado, Maryland, and New York can benefit from a special enrollment period that extended the enrollment season.

The Biden administration attributed the record-breaking enrollment to better outreach strategies for underserved populations. For example, CMS expanded its Navigator program through an $80 million grant in September 2021, adding 1,500 more Navigators to its arsenal.