Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Over 20 Million Selected Affordable Health Coverage in ACA Marketplace Since Start of Open Enrollment Period, a Record High

As January 16 coverage deadline approaches, Biden-Harris Administration continues to encourage Americans to sign up for quality, affordable health care coverage

By CMS.gov

Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced today that over 20 million people have selected an Affordable Care Act (ACA) Health Insurance Marketplace plan since the 2024 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period launched on November 1 — a record number of enrollments.

Today’s data represents activity through December 23 (Week 8) for the 32 states using HealthCare.gov and for the 18 states and the District of Columbia with State-based Marketplaces. Total plan selections include more than 3.7 million people (18% of total) who are new to the Marketplaces for 2024, and 16.6 million people (82% of total) who had active 2023 coverage and selected a plan for 2024 coverage or were automatically re-enrolled.  Plan selections so far represent an impressive increase of over 8 million more people who have coverage since President Biden took office.

The 2024 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period runs from November 1, 2023, to January 16, 2024, for states using the HealthCare.gov platform. Consumers who enroll by midnight on January 16 can get coverage that starts February 1, 2024. State-based Marketplace enrollment deadlines vary. State-specific deadlines and other information are available in the State-based Marketplace Open Enrollment Fact Sheet. 

“Today is a momentous day. A record number of people in the United States have health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act’s Marketplace — more than at any point in history. More people with access to preventive care means a healthier country and lower health care costs across the board,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “Quality health care gives people the peace of mind they need to participate fully in their communities, spend time with those they love, and pursue their part of the American Dream. President Biden promised increased access to affordable, quality care and these results show he is delivering for the American people. His leadership has been essential.”

“Today’s announcement means more than 20 million people have the security of knowing they have access to affordable health care in 2024. This is a connection to insulin, to high blood pressure medication, to all essential health benefits,” CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure said. “This year’s plan selection is a record-breaking achievement. It shows how far we’ve come and how much this Administration values and is continuing to build on the legacy of the Affordable Care Act nearly 14 years since it was first passed.”

The Biden-Harris Administration has continued its commitment to making health insurance available and affordable to everyone. The Inflation Reduction Act and the American Rescue Plan continue to keep Marketplace coverage more affordable. For this past enrollment cycle, the administration issued almost $100 million in Navigator Awards, allowing organizations to hire staff who are trained to help consumers find affordable, comprehensive health coverage. Navigators, as they are known, have been key to helping consumers enroll in quality health insurance plans in every Marketplace state.

The Biden-Harris Administration encourages all families to visit HealthCare.gov and check out the health care coverage options and savings available to them. Because of continuing provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act, CMS expects nine out of 10 customers to be eligible for savings. 

People with current coverage through HealthCare.gov are encouraged to return and shop to see if another plan better meets their needs at a lower cost.

Today’s release also underscores the importance of Marketplace coverage for people transitioning from Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) as states conduct Medicaid and CHIP renewals, which restarted in 2023. People who are no longer eligible for Medicaid or CHIP should visit HealthCare.gov to see if they are eligible to enroll in a low-cost, quality health plan today. 

Individuals will also benefit from a highly competitive Marketplace. More than 90% of HealthCare.gov enrollees will be able to choose among three or more plans. Standardized plan options are available and offer the same deductibles and cost sharing for certain benefits. These plans have the same out-of-pocket limits as other standardized plans within the same health plan category, making it easier for consumers to compare and choose plans. Most of these standardized plan options offer many services pre-deductible, including primary care, generic drugs, preferred brand drugs, urgent care, specialist visits, mental health and substance use outpatient office visits, as well as speech, occupational, and physical therapies.

Individuals can enroll or re-enroll in health insurance coverage for 2024 by visiting HealthCare.gov, 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/or https://www.cuidadodesalud.gov/es/find-assistance/.

Marketplace Enrollment Snapshot Overview: 

To view the previous Marketplace enrollment snapshot report, please visit: Marketplace 2024 Open Enrollment Period Report: National Snapshot #2.

Find out more via key highlights and improvements and infographic for the Marketplace 2024 Open Enrollment Period. For more information about how to enroll in Marketplace coverage, visit HealthCare.gov, CuidadoDeSalud.gov or your State-based Marketplace.

Marketplace 2024 Open Enrollment Period Report: National Snapshot

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reports that over 20 million Americans have signed up for 2024 individual market health insurance coverage through the Marketplaces since the start of the 2024 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period (OEP) on November 1. This includes 15.5 million plan selections in the 32 states using the HealthCare.gov platform for the 2024 plan year and 4.8 million plan selections in the 18 states and the District of Columbia with State-based Marketplaces (SBMs) that are using their own eligibility and enrollment platforms, through December 23, 2023 (Week 8). Total nationwide plan selections include 3.7 million consumers (18% of total) who are new to the Marketplaces for 2024, and 16.6 million consumers (82% of total) who had active 2023 coverage and selected a plan for 2024 coverage or were automatically re-enrolled. 

Definitions and details on the data are included in the glossary.

Glossary

HealthCare.gov Marketplace: The 32 Marketplaces that use the HealthCare.gov platform for the 2024 coverage year, including the Federally-facilitated Marketplaces and State-based Marketplaces that use the federal platform (HealthCare.gov). The 32 HealthCare.gov Marketplace states for 2024 include: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

State-based Marketplaces (SBMs): The 18 states and the District of Columbia with Marketplaces that operate their own eligibility and enrollment platforms. The 19 SBMs for 2024 include: California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Idaho, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington. Generally, the data metric definitions provided here are applicable to the SBM metrics, with some exceptions. Please contact the SBMs for additional information on their metrics. 

Cumulative Plan Selections: The cumulative metric represents the total number of people who have submitted an application and selected a plan, net of any cancellations from a consumer or cancellations from an insurer that have occurred from November 1, 2023, through the end of the reporting period. To have their coverage effectuated, consumers generally need to pay their first month’s health plan premium. This release does not report the number of effectuated enrollments.

New Consumers (HealthCare.gov Marketplaces): Consumers are considered new if they did not have 2023 Marketplace coverage through the federal platform through December 31, 2023, and made a 2024 plan selection through the federal platform.

New Consumers (SBMs): Consumers are considered new if they did not have 2023 Marketplace coverage in the SBM that uses its own platform where they made a 2024 plan selection through the SBM. 

Returning Consumers (HealthCare.gov Marketplaces): Consumers are considered returning if they have 2023 Marketplace coverage through the federal platform through December 31, 2023, and either actively select the same plan or a new plan for 2024. The returning consumers count includes consumers who have been automatically re-enrolled in their current plan or an alternate suggested plan for 2024 coverage.

Returning Consumers (SBMs): Consumers are considered returning if they have 2023 Marketplace coverage through December 31, 2023, in the same SBM where they actively select the same plan or a new plan for 2024. The returning consumers count includes consumers who have been automatically re-enrolled in their 2023 plan or an alternate suggested plan for 2024 coverage.

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[1] Cumulative data for SBMs include plan selections from November 1 – December 23, 2023, except Idaho, which has an OEP from October 15, 2023 – December 15, 2023.

[2] Most SBMs (Colorado, Connecticut, DC, Idaho, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia and Washington) had deadlines for January 1, 2024, coverage that occurred within the SBM reporting period, November 1 – December 23, 2023. The remaining SBMs (California, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, and Rhode Island) had a December 31, 2023, deadline for January 1 coverage.

[3] In addition to reported plan selections, New York and Minnesota have a Basic Health Program (BHP), which provides coverage to consumers with household incomes at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level who are not eligible for Medicaid or CHIP and otherwise would be eligible for a QHP. As of December 23, 2023, New York had a total of 1,195,014 individuals enrolled in a BHP. Minnesota’s BHP data was not available at the time of this report. 

[4] Cumulative data for SBMs include plan selections from November 1 – December 23, 2023, except Idaho, which has an OEP from October 15, 2023 – December 15, 2023. 

[5] Most SBMs (Colorado, Connecticut, DC, Idaho, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia and Washington) had deadlines for January 1, 2024, coverage that occurred within the SBM reporting period, November 1 – December 23, 2023. The remaining SBMs (California, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, and Rhode Island) had a December 31, 2023, deadline for January 1 coverage.

[6] In addition to reported plan selections, New York and Minnesota have a Basic Health Program (BHP), which provides coverage to consumers with household incomes at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level who are not eligible for Medicaid or CHIP and otherwise would be eligible for a QHP. As of December 23, 2023, New York had a total of 1,195,014 individuals enrolled in a BHP. Minnesota’s BHP data was not available at the time of this report. 

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