The Biden-Harris Administration announced that Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace enrollment continues to outpace previous years, with nearly 11.5 million people selecting a health plan nationwide as of December 15, 2022 – a key milestone marking the deadline for coverage starting January 1, 2023. About 1.8 million more people have signed up for health insurance, or an 18% increase, from this time last year. 

“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,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “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.”

“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.” 

The Biden-Harris Administration has made expanding access to health insurance and lowering health care costs for America’s families a top priority, and under their leadership, the national uninsured rate reached an all-time low earlier this year. 

The Biden-Harris Administration encourages all families to visit HealthCare.gov and check out the health care coverage options and savings available to them. This year, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, more people will continue to receive enhanced tax credits to buy quality, affordable health insurance. Four out of five HealthCare.gov enrollees will be able to find a plan for $10 or less after tax credits. People with coverage through HealthCare.gov are encouraged to return and shop to see if another plan better meets their needs at a lower cost.

Individuals will also benefit from a highly competitive Marketplace. Ninety-two percent of HealthCare.gov enrollees will have access to options from three or more insurance companies when they shop for plans. The Biden-Harris Administration has also made it easier for consumers to compare and select plans by creating standardized plans that offer many of the same benefits at the same cost. 

The HealthCare.gov Marketplace Open Enrollment remains open until January 15, 2023. People who do not currently have health insurance or are already in a Marketplace plan can go to HealthCare.gov to submit or update their applications until January 15, 2023 for coverage beginning February 1, 2023. 

The next snapshot of national plan selections, including state-based Marketplaces, will be released January 11, 2023. 

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Total plan selections represent a 17% increase over last year, and includes a significant increase in new enrollees on Healthcare.gov

With four out of five people eligible for coverage at $10 or less, the Biden-Harris Administration urges everyone to visit HealthCare.gov and sign up for high-quality, affordable health care

ACA Marketplace National Enrollment Snapshot

The Biden-Harris Administration announces nearly 3.4 million people nationwide have selected an Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace health plan since the start of the 2023 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period (OEP) on November 1. This represents activity through November 19 (Week 3) for the 33 states using HealthCare.gov and through November 12 (Week 2) for 16 states and the District of Columbia with State-based Marketplaces (SBMs).[1] Total plan selections include 655,000 people (19% of total) who are new to the Marketplaces for 2023, and 2.7 million people (81% of total) who have active 2022 coverage and returned to their respective Marketplaces to renew or select a new plan for 2023. These plan selection numbers represent a 17% increase in total plan selections over last year.

As President Joe Biden and Secretary Xavier Becerra announced, new customers enrolling on Healthcare.gov are up nearly 40% over last year. On November 16, Healthcare.gov had 493,216 new enrollees, compared to 354,137 on the same date in last year.

The 2023 Marketplace OEP runs from November 1, 2022 to January 15, 2023 for states using the HealthCare.gov platform. People generally need to submit an application and choose a plan by December 15 for their coverage to start January 1. State-based Marketplace enrollment deadlines vary. State-specific deadlines and other information are available in the State-based Marketplace Open Enrollment Fact Sheet.

“We are off to a strong start – and we will not rest until we can connect everyone possible to health care coverage this enrollment season,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “The Biden-Harris Administration has taken historic action to expand access to health care, and ensure everyone can have the peace of mind that comes with being insured. With four out of five people eligible for coverage at $10 or less, do not miss your opportunity to sign up for high-quality, affordable health care. We urge everyone to visit HealthCare.gov and find the coverage that meets your needs.”

“Providing quality, affordable health care options remains a top priority. The numbers prove that our focus is in the right place. In the first weeks of Open Enrollment, we have seen an increase in plan selections and a significant increase in the number of new enrollees over the previous year,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “I am pleased to see such a strong early showing and I encourage all those looking for affordable health care coverage to visit HealthCare.gov.”

The Biden-Harris Administration has made expanding access to health insurance and lowering health care costs for America’s families a top priority, and under their leadership, the national uninsured rate reached an all-time low earlier this year. 

The Biden-Harris Administration encourages all families to visit HealthCare.gov and check out the health care coverage options and savings available to them. This year, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, more people will continue to qualify for help purchasing quality health coverage with expanded financial assistance. Thirteen million Americans will continue to save an average of $800 per year on their health insurance. Four out of five people will be able to find a plan for $10 or less after tax credits. People with coverage through HealthCare.gov are encouraged to return and shop to see if another plan better meets their needs at a lower cost.

Individuals can enroll or re-enroll in health insurance coverage for 2023 by visiting HealthCare.gov, or CuidadoDeSalud.gov, or by calling 1-800-318-2596 to fill out an application. Individuals wanting assistance signing up for coverage may go to Find Local Help on HealthCare.gov to find a Navigator, Certified Application Counselor, or agent or broker: https://www.healthcare.gov/find-assistance/.

Marketplace Enrollment Snapshot Overview:

To view the first Marketplace enrollment snapshot report, please visit: https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/marketplace-2023-open-enrollment-period-report-national-snapshot

Find out more via key highlights and improvements and infographic for the Marketplace 2023 Open Enrollment Period. For more information about how to enroll in Marketplace coverage, visit HealthCare.gov, CuidadoDeSalud.gov or your State-based Marketplace.

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As the never-ending battle over the Affordable Care Act (ACA) returns to a Supreme Court with a strong conservative majority, the future of the law is uncertain.

Here’s what I know for sure. The ACA isn’t perfect. But for me and the more than 20 million Americans who have gained benefits and are lucky enough to carry a card that says “Coverage provided through the Health Insurance Marketplace,” it’s a lifeline in the bleakest of times.

Before leaving the corporate world, I had employer-sponsored insurance. While my monthly premiums and drug costs increased every year, it provided a safety net that those without coverage did not have. As a self-employed professional with Type 1 diabetes and hypothyroidism, I found it challenging to obtain affordable health coverage even with the ACA. My income initially wasn’t high enough to qualify for subsidies for marketplace insurance, provided under the law.

The ACA expanded Medicaid to cover people like me, but in 2012 the Supreme Court made it optional for states to implement the expansion. I live in Georgia, where Medicaid wasn’t expanded, and for four years, I went without coverage. I turned 50 and should have gotten a colonoscopy, but I didn’t. I hurt my knee and should have gone for x-rays, but I didn’t. Nor did I get treated for a stomach condition that comes and goes. I always made sure I had insulin because without it, I wouldn’t live very long. Sometimes I had to get my insulin from Canada because it costs hundreds of dollars less than in the US.

In 2020, I finally qualified for a plan under Obamacare. The plan I selected has a $5 co-pay for a doctor visit, with a yearly maximum $850 out-of-pocket. I thought this would be the year to catch up on needed tests and procedures. But things haven’t turned out as I expected.

I live in a rural area 90 minutes northeast of Atlanta, and none of the specialists near me accept marketplace insurance. The one or two providers who take my insurance weren’t accepting new patients. And when the pandemic hit in March, going to the doctor, or anywhere for the matter, was no longer an option except in an emergency. I have to wonder: what’s the point of insurance if providers don’t accept it?

Though I haven’t been able to see doctors in my area, I have continued my relationship with the clinic I went to before I had insurance, which is quite far from my home. And my plan has delivered important benefits. I am able to pay $20 for a month’s supply of insulin, schedule tests where my insurance is accepted, and feel confident that I am covered. Once the pandemic is under control, I hope to use my insurance to catch up on overdue tests, including a colonoscopy.

But if the ACA is thrown out, my medical conditions would, at best, make private insurance even more ridiculously expensive than it is now. More likely, I wouldn’t be able to obtain it at any price. I was born with these conditions. Is it my fault my thyroid and pancreas don’t function properly? Why should I be penalized for something over which I have no control?

Am I scared about the SCOTUS decision on the Affordable Care Act? Will I be able to afford my medication, especially my insulin? What if I need hospitalization? What if I contract the novel coronavirus?

I don’t have time to be scared, and neither do the tens of millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions . Our chronic ailments don’t allow us the luxury to ponder what if’s. We have to think about what’s next.

My hope is that insurers and lawmakers look beyond the price tag, think about the millions of people they serve, and do the right thing. A health care system that discriminates against sick people, the very people who need care most, is perverse and cruel.

Universal health care, the public option, Medicare for all — whatever you want to call it, health care should be a basic right for everyone in this country. Even if we have to drive to exercise that right.

-Gianetta Palmer

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