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About 12.7M Signed Up for Coverage Nationwide During Open Enrollment!


On January 31, Open Enrollment for 2016 coverage ended, with about 12.7 million consumers selecting plans or being automatically re-enrolled across all states, either through the HealthCare.gov platform or a State-based Marketplace, HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell announced. This does not include about 400,000 people who signed up on the New York and Minnesota Marketplaces for coverage through the Basic Health Program during this Open Enrollment. (Basic Health Programs are state-based programs supported by the Affordable Care Act that provide health insurance coverage to low income individuals who would generally otherwise be eligible for qualified health plans.)

“Open Enrollment for 2016 is over and we are happy to report it was a success,” said U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell. “The Health Insurance Marketplace is changing people’s lives for the better. Across the country, about 12.7 million Americans selected affordable, quality health plans for 2016 coverage, exceeding our goals. That includes over 4 million new consumers in the HealthCare.gov states who signed-up for coverage this year. The Marketplace is growing and getting stronger and the ACA has become a crucial part of healthcare in America.”

Secretary Burwell highlighted a number of critical ways the Marketplace exceeded expectations:

  • 4 million new people enrolled in coverage in HealthCare.gov states. Of the 9.6 million consumers who got coverage through HealthCare.gov, about 42 percent were new to the Marketplace in 2016. It’s clear that Marketplace coverage is a product people want and need.

  • More than ever, Marketplace consumers were engaged and satisfied with their coverage. About 60 percent (2.4 million) of new enrollees in HealthCare.gov states signed up for January 1 coverage compared to about 40 percent (1.9 million) of new enrollees last year. Instead of waiting until the last moment, as we saw in previous years, people signed up for coverage by the first deadline because they wanted coverage to start as soon as possible.

  • About 7 in 10 consumers with 2015 coverage came back to HealthCare.gov and actively selected a plan for 2016. Last year, about half of returning consumers actively selected a plan.

  • More than 3.6 million people used the total cost calculator, provider or drug look up tools – yet another sign of the seriousness and time they put into their decisions – and a sign that these tools were useful to them.

  • Finally, some have questioned whether young people would enroll, and they are. This year, 2.7 million people ages 18 to 34 are signed up for coverage in HealthCare.gov states, and the percentage of new customers in that age range is higher than last year. The overall percentage of plan selections for those ages remains stable.

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