Health Law Sign-Ups Down 11% From Same Period Last Year
In the first five weeks of the enrollment period, 3.2 million Americans signed up for health insurance coverage through healthcare.gov. In the same period last year, 3.6 million enrolled. Enrollment on the federal exchanges close Dec. 15, while Covered California's sign-up period runs through Jan. 15, 2019.
The New York Times:
Why Is Obamacare Enrollment Down?
More than halfway through the sign-up period for Obamacare health plans, fewer people have enrolled in coverage than during the same stretch last year. Enrollment through the federal website Healthcare.gov, which manages insurance marketplaces in 39 states, is down 11 percent compared to 2017, according to government figures released Thursday. Given President Trump’s assault on the law, many people are watching this year’s enrollment closely for clues to its durability. While it is too soon to draw any firm conclusions, there are several reasons sign-ups could be lower — and not all of them spell trouble for the landmark legislation. (Abelson and Sanger-Katz, 12/6)
The Associated Press:
Obama Health Law Sign-Ups Lagging For 2019
With open enrollment ending next week, the government says sign-ups for coverage under former President Barack Obama’s health care law are lagging when compared with last year. Figures released Thursday by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services show that about 3.2 million people have signed up so far for subsidized private insurance, compared with about 3.6 million at the same time last year. Open enrollment ends Dec. 15. Health law supporters are concerned. The number of new customers is down nearly 18 percent. (12/6)
KPBS:
'Big Risk' Dropping Health Coverage After Obamacare Penalty Removal, Official Warns
As the deadline looms for Covered California, the state health insurance exchange, nearly 90,000 new consumers have purchased a health plan since open enrollment began in October, and more than 1 million people have renewed their coverage. But tens of thousands of people are expected to forgo health insurance in 2019. (Murphy, 12/6)