Approximately 20 million people have signed up for health insurance this year through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces, setting a record-breaking figure.
President Joe Biden is expected to highlight these results during his campaign, especially as former President Donald Trump, the Republican front-runner, pledges to dismantle the ACA. The Biden administration announced the 20 million enrollments just days before the open enrollment period’s closure on Jan. 16. This marks a 25% increase compared to the previous year’s record of 16.3 million enrollments.
The surge followed Biden’s implementation of tax breaks, enabling access to low-cost plans, some with zero-dollar premiums. Biden emphasized the need to build on this progress and make lower health care premiums permanent. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra credited the increased interest in coverage to an aggressive enrollment campaign, reaching out to communities, particularly in Black and Latino areas.
The administration invested in hiring navigators to assist enrollments, reviving a program that suffered during Trump’s tenure. However, the rise in enrollment has come with a cost, as some new enrollees turned to the marketplace after being removed from Medicaid, resulting in higher premiums and copays. Approximately 14.5 million Americans lost Medicaid coverage after the federal government lifted a ban on removing ineligible individuals.
While the ACA open enrollment ends on Jan. 16, those removed from Medicaid may be eligible to enroll through the end of July. Trump continues to threaten to undo the Biden administration’s efforts on the ACA, criticizing it as a catastrophe on the campaign trail.
