Nearly 4.6 million Americans signed up for health plan coverage through HealthCare.gov and State-based Marketplaces since the start of the 2022 Open Enrollment Period on November 1, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS).
HHS credited assistance from the American Rescue Plan to help drive affordability and accessibility of health coverage. The number of consumers getting coverage for $10 or less per month after tax credits nearly doubled compared to this time last year. Ninety five percent of consumers in HealthCare.gov states are receiving premium tax credits to lower the cost of their monthly premiums.
“We will keep saying it: health care in America should be a right, not a privilege. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to making life-saving health care accessible and affordable for everyone who needs it,” Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in the announcement. “Today’s report is proof that our efforts are yielding results. Thanks to our unprecedented outreach campaigns and investments from the American Rescue Plan, millions of people across the nation are gaining health insurance with lower premiums and more choices than ever. We will continue working to get more people covered throughout the remainder of the Open Enrollment Period.”
Consumers, including returning customers, who choose one of the plans on HeathCare.gov by December 15 and pay their first month’s premium will receive health care coverage starting on January 1. State-based Marketplaces also have similar deadlines in December for consumers to obtain January 1 health care coverage.
So far during this Open Enrollment Period, consumers have made 3.9 million plan selections in the 33 states using the HealthCare.gov platform and 625,000 plan selections in the 17 states and the District of Columbia with State-based Marketplaces for the 2022 plan year.
The Open Enrollment Period builds on the momentum of the 2021 Special Enrollment Period, which led to nearly 2.8 million people enrolling in Marketplace coverage, 2.1 million who enrolled in HealthCare.gov states for 2021, and 738,000 who enrolled in 2021 State-based Marketplaces ahead of the 2022 Open Enrollment Period.
For more details, click here for a fact sheet and here for a CMS national snapshot.