This week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released a report showing more than 206,000 Americans signed up for insurance through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace during the first two weeks of the special enrollment period President Biden enacted allowing Americans to get covered during the pandemic. These numbers demonstrate people need and want affordable health insurance, especially in the middle of a pandemic when millions have lost their jobs and their health insurance. News reports show that Americans are turning to the affordable health insurance available to them because President Biden delivered on his promise and opened a special enrollment period under the ACA.
CNN: Sign-Ups For Biden’s Obamacare Special Enrollment Period Nearly Triple. “More than 206,000 people signed up for Affordable Care Act policies on the federal exchange in the first two weeks of the special enrollment period ordered by President Joe Biden, federal data released Wednesday shows. Uninsured Americans who want to buy 2021 coverage on healthcare.gov could start doing so on February 15, thanks to an executive order Biden signed in January.” [CNN, 3/3/21]
- CNN: The Biden Administration Is “Pouring $50 Million Into Marketing And Outreach To Let People Know About The Opportunity.” “Biden, however, reopened enrollment to give the uninsured another chance to select policies during the coronavirus pandemic, and his administration is pouring $50 million into marketing and outreach to let people know about the opportunity. CMS is also providing about $2.3 million to 30 navigator organizations to assist consumers with enrollment, the agency announced this week. Former President Donald Trump refused to launch a special enrollment period when the pandemic hit last year and slashed the Affordable Care Act’s marketing and navigator budgets throughout his term.” [CNN, 3/3/21]
Washington Post: More Than 200,000 Americans Sign Up For ACA Health Plans During Special Enrollment Period. “More than 200,000 Americans signed up for Affordable Care Act health plans during the first two weeks of an extended enrollment period President Biden ordered to help more people find insurance amid the economic ripple effects caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Figures released Wednesday by federal health officials show the number of consumers who chose coverage through HealthCare.gov from Feb. 15 to Feb. 28 — 206,236 — was nearly three times higher than during the same period last year and roughly 3½ times greater than in 2019.” [Washington Post, 3/3/21]
Associated Press: Biden Encouraged By Consumer Interest In ‘Obamacare’ Offer. “In a solid start, more than 200,000 people signed up for coverage the first two weeks after President Joe Biden reopened HealthCare.gov as part of his coronavirus response, the government said Wednesday. Early consumer interest in the three-month special enrollment period shows pent-up demand for health insurance a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, with many people still unemployed or unable to work as many hours as before.” [Associated Press, 3/4/21]
- Larry Levitt, Executive Vice President For Health Policy At The Kaiser Family Foundation, Said “This Special Enrollment Period Could Make A Meaningful Dent In The Number Of People Uninsured.” “If the pace keeps up, ‘this special enrollment period could make a meaningful dent in the number of people uninsured,’ said Larry Levitt, who tracks health insurance for the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. ‘The enrollment numbers so far are stronger than I would have expected.'” [Associated Press, 3/4/21]
Healthcare Finance: More Than 200,000 Take Advantage Of ACA Special Enrollment Period. “President Joe Biden, unlike his Republican predecessor Donald Trump, supports the Affordable Care that was signed into law when he was vice president to President Barack Obama. During his campaign, Biden promised to strengthen the ACA and to offer a public health insurance option.” [Healthcare FInance, 3/3/21]
The Hill: Over 200K Sign Up For ACA Plans During Biden Special Enrollment Period. “Americans want health insurance. More than 200,000 people signed up for health coverage on federal ObamaCare exchanges in the first two weeks of a special pandemic enrollment period, according to federal statistics released Wednesday…According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the number of signups from Feb. 15 to Feb. 28 was nearly three times higher than during the same period last year, when only 76,000 people signed up.” [The Hill, 3/3/21]
USA Today: Obamacare Sign-Ups Increase During Special Enrollment Period For COVID-19. “More than 206,000 Americans signed up for health insurance through the federally run HealthCare.gov in the first two weeks of the three-month special enrollment period created by President Joe Biden, the administration announced Wednesday. That compares with about 76,000 who enrolled during the same period last year, when people could only pick a plan if they had a special circumstance, such as a job loss.” [USA Today, 3/3/21]