Health Care Coverage Through The ACA Continues To Hit New Highs As Republican Threats Loom
As the end of Open Enrollment nears, the Biden-Harris administration announced that nearly 24 million people have enrolled in health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for 2025 so far – already shattering last year’s record of 21.4 million enrollees, with 3.2 million new enrollees. ACA enrollment has more than doubled since Trump’s first term in office. Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act’s tax credits that lower premium costs, 80 percent of people can find a health plan through the Marketplace for $10 or less per month. Taking away these tax credits would increase premiums, and result in millions losing their health care.
It is up to Republicans to stop premium hikes. With a Republican trifecta set to take power by the end of the month and so many enrolled in affordable coverage, the Republican threat to affordable health care looms large. Not only do Republicans want to take away tax credits for working families, but they are revisiting additional policies to raise costs, undermine the ACA, and take away protections for people with pre-existing conditions — all to give billions in tax breaks to billionaires. While in office, Trump attempted to repeal the ACA and was just one vote short in 2017. Under his first administration, Trump and his GOP allies did everything in their power to sabotage the ACA, resulting in millions of Americans losing their health insurance coverage and drug prices skyrocketing.
The New York Times: Obamacare Enrollment Hits Record Ahead Of Trump’s Return. “… gains have been driven in part by major federal subsidies that helped shave the cost of premiums across income groups… In a statement, Mr. Biden called on Congress to ‘double down on the progress we have made’ by extending them.” [The New York Times, 1/8/25]
CNN: Obamacare Signups Near A Record 24 Million, Almost Double Than When Trump Was Last In Office. “Obamacare coverage has exploded in popularity during President Joe Biden’s term, fueled by more generous federal subsidies, heightened outreach and an easier enrollment process. Nearly 24 million people have signed up for Affordable Care Act plans for 2025 so far, and more are expected to choose policies before open enrollment ends on January 15 in most states, the administration announced Wednesday. This includes almost 3.2 million new consumers and more than 20.4 million returning ones. […] Roughly 12 million people signed up for 2021 coverage during the final open enrollment period of President-elect Donald Trump’s first term, when he unsuccessfully vowed to kill the landmark health reform law and took multiple steps to make Obamacare less attractive and accessible. But the enrollment gains are at risk: The enhanced federal premium subsidies, which were put in place when Democrats controlled Congress earlier in Biden’s term, are set to expire at the end of 2025. It will be up to Trump and the Republican-led Congress to decide whether to extend them.” [CNN, 1/8/25]
ABC News: Record 24 Million Enroll In Affordable Care Act Health Insurance As Biden’s Term Ends, White House Says. “The 2025 enrollment figure is buoyed by 3.2 million new consumers compared to last year, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services said… ‘That means that enrollment has nearly doubled since I took office,’ President Joe Biden said in a statement. ‘That’s no coincidence. When I took office, I made a promise to the American people that I would bring down the cost of health care and prescription drugs, make signing up for coverage easier, and strengthen the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, and Medicaid.’” [ABC News, 1/8/25]
The Hill: Biden Administration Achieves Fourth Record-Breaking ACA Enrollment Ahead Of Exit. “The Biden administration has achieved a fourth consecutive record year in HealthCare.gov Marketplace enrollment, one week before the final sign-up deadline and its imminent exit from office… The past four years of record-breaking enrollment have been credited to enhanced subsidies first passed by the American Rescue Plan Act in 2021 and extended by the Inflation Reduction Act through the end of 2025.” [The Hill, 1/8/25]
USA Today: Biden Touts Record Obamacare Signups, Urges Congress To Extend Subsidies. “Nearly 24 million consumers have picked an Affordable Care Act health insurance plan for 2025, breaking last year’s record enrollment, even though consumers have another week to sign up for coverage this year, Biden administration officials announced Wednesday. The number of signups this year surpassed last year’s record of 21.4 million people. And consumers have through Jan. 15 to select a health insurance plan from the federal marketplace, Healthcare.gov, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The record signups have been buoyed by the generous subsidies Congress passed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but outgoing Biden administration officials warned there’s no guarantee they’ll be extended beyond the end of this year.” [USA Today, 1/8/25]
United Press International: Affordable Care Act 2025 Enrollment Hits Record At Nearly 24 Million. “He said when he took office he promised the American people that he ‘would bring down the cost of health care and prescription drugs, make signing up for coverage easier, and strengthen the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, and Medicaid.’ Biden said his administration delivered on that promise.” [United Press International, 1/8/25]
Florida Phoenix: Florida Leads The Nation (Again) In Obamacare Enrollment. “More than 4.6 million Florida residents enrolled in an Obamacare plan through the “Marketplace” for 2025 health insurance coverage. Data released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services show that 4,633,650 residents signed up for insurance coverage through the Marketplace by the end of 2024. Nationally, CMS reports that 23.6 million people enrolled for 2025 coverage, including 3.2 million new consumers. Total enrollment is record-breaking, CMS said in a statement. Four insurance companies and 12 health maintenance organizations (HMOs) are participating in the Florida Marketplace, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation website shows. HMO coverage is regional and people must live in the area an HMO is authorized to operate in to enroll in the managed care plan.” [Florida Phoenix, 1/8/25]
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia ACA Health Insurance Enrollment Surges Again, To 1.5 Million. “More than 200,000 new Georgians have been added to the Affordable Care Act health insurance rolls this year, for a total of more than 1.5 million. The increase over last year’s 1.3 million marks a new record, in line with increases nationwide, White House officials said Tuesday. The deadline to sign up for 2025 coverage is January 15. Nationwide, more than 3 million new shoppers bought ACA plans. The ACA marketplace now insures a total of 23 million Americans.” [Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 1/8/25]
