Washington, D.C. —(ENEWSPF)—February 15, 2018
By: Emily Gee
Despite the Trump administration’s efforts to sabotage it, enrollment in the health insurance marketplace has remained relatively stable, according to a new analysis from the Center for American Progress.
About 11.8 million people signed up for 2018 individual coverage in the Affordable Care Act marketplaces, just a 4 percent drop from the 12.2 million in 2017. That’s not nearly as steep as some analysts predicted given the federal cuts to advertising and outreach as well as shorter open enrollment periods.
Nevertheless, marketplace enrollment remains below its potential. If the Trump administration had not thrown up roadblocks, 2018 enrollment could have even exceeded last year’s.
In contrast to the enrollment decline for HealthCare.gov, 2018 enrollment was up slightly among the state-based marketplaces (SBMs), which were not directly affected by the federal decisions to cut advertising and outreach for the marketplaces. If conditions in the states using HealthCare.gov been similar to those in the state-based marketplaces, a total 12.2 million people would have enrolled for 2018 coverage.
Going forward, a stable individual market will depend on states and federal lawmakers taking decisive action to ensure Americans have access to comprehensive, affordable health coverage.
Read the analysis: “Marketplaces Prove Stable Despite Trump’s Attempts to Sabotage Enrollment” by Emily Gee
Source: www.americanprogress.org
