Most of the plan selections were for people in the 38 states – more than 9.6 million – who used the federal website, HealthCare.gov. The other 3.1 million people were enrolled in states that run their own marketplaces. The Obama administration says 12.7 million people signed up for private insurance or renewed coverage under the president¿s health care law, respectable results for a program still in political jeopardy.
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And all of the Republican presidential candidates have vowed to repeal it.
Nationwide, about 12.7 million Americans, including 4 million new enrollees, registered for coverage this year to exceed the department’s projections.
People who are eligible for financial assistance but still don’t get insurance face rising penalties under the ACA’s so-called individual mandate.
“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 in the government’s announcement.
This year was the third sign-up season for the Affordable Care Act, and different challenges emerged.
The bulk of the IL sign-ups during the open enrollment period were from the Chicago market, according to data supplied by HHS, with 310,523 Chicago-area consumers choosing health care plans from November 1, when the open enrollment period began, through February 1. Many of those who want or need insurance already obtained coverage through the exchanges over the past two years. Traditionally, only those with a major life event – such as job loss, marriage, divorce or the birth of a child — can obtain insurance after open enrollment ends.
Goodman notes, however, that more than 1 million people will drop coverage by September “if previous year is a guide”.
The cost will go up to $325, or 2 percent of income, for the 2015 tax year, and to $695, or 2.5 percent of income, for the 2016 tax year.
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More than 14 percent of Americans were uninsured in 2013 before the health care law’s big coverage expansion.
