Today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reported that more than 528,000 Americans signed up for insurance through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace during the first six weeks of the special enrollment period. Thanks to President Biden, more people have access to affordable coverage through the exchanges, especially in states with high uninsured rates, like Texas and Florida. These enrollees represent a diverse group of people, with a higher percentage (17%) of Black Americans and lower-income Americans taking advantage of the special enrollment period.
New York Times: New Enrollees in Obamacare Exceed Half a Million. “The new enrollment figures, released Wednesday morning by the Department of Health and Human Services, suggest there is strong demand for health coverage during the pandemic. They also show the health law starting to reach a more diverse population: 17 percent of enrollees during this six-week period identified as Black, an increase from 11 percent in recent years. The federal marketplace is also showing a slight increase in enrollees who have earnings just above the federal poverty line.” [New York Times, 4/7/21]
Associated Press: More Than a Half Million Americans Gain Coverage Under Biden. “More than a half-million Americans have taken advantage of the Biden administration’s special health insurance sign-up window keyed to the COVID-19 pandemic, the government announced Wednesday in anticipation that even more consumers will gain coverage in the coming months. The reason officials expect sign-ups to keep growing is that millions of people became eligible effective Apr. 1 for pumped-up subsidies toward their premiums under President Joe Biden’s coronavirus relief legislation. The special sign-up opportunity for Affordable Care Act plans will be available until Aug. 15.” [Associated Press, 4/7/21]
- Associated Press: “Biden Campaigned On A Strategy Of Building On The Obama-Era Health Law To Push The United States Toward Coverage For All. As President, He’s Wasted No time.” “Biden campaigned on a strategy of building on the Obama-era health law to push the United States toward coverage for all. As president, he’s wasted no time.With the number of uninsured Americans rising during the pandemic, Biden reopened the law’s heath insurance markets as a backstop. Then, the virus aid package essentially delivered a health insurance price cut by making taxpayer subsidies more generous, while also allowing more people to qualify for financial assistance.” [Associated Press, 4/7/21]
CNN: More Than 500,000 People Have Signed Up for Obamacare Coverage During Biden’s Special Enrollment Period. “More than 528,000 Americans have signed up for Affordable Care Act coverage on the federal exchange in the first six weeks of the special enrollment period President Joe Biden opened for the uninsured. That’s more than double the number that turned to the exchange, healthcare.gov, in the same period over the past two years, when enrollment was limited to those losing job-based policies and experiencing other major life events, such as divorce, according to data released Wednesday by the Department of Health and Human Services.” [CNN, 4/7/21]
The Hill: Over 500,000 People Sign Up for ObamaCare in Special Sign-Up Period. “The Trump administration last year declined to open an extra sign-up period, noting that people who lost job-based coverage were already eligible to enroll, but President Biden opened an extra period this year upon taking office. The sign-up period is still going, lasting until Aug. 15, meaning that there is the opportunity for the number to climb higher.” [The Hill, 4/7/21]
HuffPost: Biden Administration Announces 500,000 New Sign-Ups At HealthCare.gov. “So this is what it looks like when the people in charge of the Affordable Care Act want it to reach as many people as possible…The Biden administration has done more than simply make enrollment easier. It has also promoted coverage aggressively, though online and broadcast advertising, in order to reach people who are eligible for deeply discounted insurance but might not know about it. The promotions frequently tout new assistance that is now available because of the American Rescue Plan, the COVID-19 relief program that Democrats in Congress passed and Biden signed in March.” [HuffPost, 4/7/21]