By contrast, New York State of Health, also supposed to have a deadline of midnight tonight, just posted the following tweet without any formal press release being emailed or posted on their website. Of this writing there's also no notice posted on the front page website.
Very strange, although perhaps they'll send one out/post a notice tonight or tomorrow morning?
Normally, states will review (or "redetermine") whether people enrolled in Medicaid or the CHIP program are still eligible to be covered by it on a monthly (or in some cases, quarterly, I believe) basis.
However, the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), passed by Congress at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, included a provision requiring state Medicaid programs to keep people enrolled through the end of the Public Health Emergency (PHE). In return, states received higher federal funding to the tune of billions of dollars.
As a result, there are tens of millions of Medicaid/CHIP enrollees who didn't have their eligibility status redetermined for as long as three years.
In October 2023, 87,289,666 individuals were enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP, a decrease of 1,160,543 individuals (1.3%) from September 2023.
80,227,593 individuals were enrolled in Medicaid in October 2023, a decrease of 1,210,160 individuals (1.5%) from September 2023.
7,062,073 individuals were enrolled in CHIP in October 2023, an increase of 49,617 individuals (0.7%) from September 2023.
As of October 2023, enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP has decreased by 6,561,074 individuals (7.0%) since March 2023, the final month of the Medicaid continuous enrollment condition under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and amended by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023.
Medicaid enrollment has decreased by 6,489,844 individuals (7.5%).
CHIP enrollment has decreased by 71,230 individuals (1.0%).
Between February 2020 and March 2023, enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP increased by 22,975,671 individuals (32.4%) to 93,850,740.
Medicaid enrollment increased by 22,637,644 individuals (35.3%).
CHIP enrollment increased by 338,027 individuals (5.0%).
Every month for years now, the Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services (CMS) has published a monthly press release with a breakout of total Medicare, Medicaid & CHIP enrollment; the most recent one was posted in late February, and ran through November 2022.
Covered California announced today that it will give consumers until Feb. 9 to sign up for coverage in 2024.
“We’ve seen record-breaking enrollment nationally, and Covered California is surging with heightened demand,” said Covered California Executive Director Jessica Altman. “We want any Californian who needs health insurance to have the opportunity to get covered for the rest of 2024, and extending the open-enrollment period will ensure they have the time they need.”
In addition to the increased demand, consumers looking to enroll in recent days may have encountered challenges reaching Covered California representatives over the phone, and many this week have experienced longer than expected wait times. This was due in part to a disruption to Covered California’s service center, which was temporarily taken offline in immediate response to a cybersecurity incident affecting a third-party vendor that supports its phone lines.
The record number of Pennsylvanians is an increase of over 150,000 – 56 percent – since Pennie launched in 2020.
Harrisburg, PA – Today, Pennie – PA's official health insurance marketplace – announced that a record nearly 435,000 Pennsylvanians are now covered with affordable, high-quality health coverage through Pennie. This represents a 17% increase compared to this time last year, far exceeding the average annual increase of 1%. Marketplace enrollment has increased by over 150,000 in the four years since Pennsylvania took over ownership and operations from the federal marketplace (healthcare.gov) – a 56% increase.
Massachusetts Health Connector ends busiest Open Enrollment in a decade with more than 72,000 new enrollments
Marketplace enrollment increases dramatically by 40 percent in the last year
BOSTON – More than 72,000 people enrolled in new health insurance plans with the Massachusetts Health Connector during Open Enrollment 2024, which ended on January 23. This is the largest number of new enrollments in a decade, continuing a rapid increase in overall Health Connector enrollment, which has surged by 40 percent in the last year.
Note: as the next paragraph states, the 40% increase refers to total effectuated enrollment as of today versus total effectuated enrollment as of February 2023. When you include total QHPs and divide it last open enrollment periods total QHPs, which is my and CMS's standard methodology, it's a 30% year over year increase. I've been informed that there are an additional 7,713 enrollees who haven't actually paid their first premium yet.
Well if nothing else at least I get to use the speech to text tool on my Mac for the first time. I found out the hard way this morning that if you're going to punch a wall in frustration, at the very least make sure not to hit a wall stud in the process.
That's right, I managed to dislocate my finger and fracture my knuckle. Or possibly the other way around.
In any event, I may require surgery; I have an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon this week; and either way typing is going to be very difficult and I'm going to have to rely on a lot of voice activation for the next few weeks.
As a result, while I'll still be posting, the entries will likely be shorter than usual and less frequent for a while. Typing actually isn't too bad thanks to speech to text, but using apps like Excel, Photoshop etc. Is gonna be a real pain for a bit.
CMS Announces Data RFI to Improve Data Sharing and Enhance Competition
On December 7, the Biden-Harris Administration announced new actions to promote competition in health care, including increasing transparency in the Medicare Advantage (MA) insurance market and strengthening MA programmatic data. Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), is continuing momentum in this area by releasing a Request for Information (RFI) to solicit feedback from the public on how best to enhance MA data capabilities and increase public transparency.
...Prohibits a health plan ("health plan” under this subtitle excludes any “grandfathered health plan” as defined in section 1251) from: (1) imposing any preexisting condition exclusion; or (2) discriminating on the basis of any health status-related factor. Allows premium rates to vary only by individual or family coverage, rating area, age, or tobacco use.
Requires health plans in a state to: (1) accept every employer and individual in the state that applies for coverage; and (2) renew or continue coverage at the option of the plan sponsor or the individual, as applicable.
Prohibits a health plan from establishing individual eligibility rules based on health status-related factors, including medical condition, claims experience, receipt of health care, medical history, genetic information, and evidence of insurability.
Six Democratic lawmakers went on the offensive today against what they believe is a better alternative to Association Health Plans.
(Note: The phasing of this lede is confusing...it makes it sound like the lawmakers oppose the better alternative, which the article makes clear is not the case.)
Association Health Plans, which are not currently allowed in Connecticut, would allow small businesses to form a group and purchase health insurance in bulk. However, that health insurance doesn’t come with the protections of the Patient and Affordable Care Act.
Mississippi is one of the ten states where ACA Medicaid expansion still hasn't gone through a full decade after it could have.
A few years ago, Medicaid expansion in Mississippi looked like it might actually happen: While the states GOP Governor and Republican supermajority-controlled state legislature opposed it, in May 2021 there was a strong grassroots effort to put a statewide initiative on the ballot to push it through regardless, exactly how it happened in other deep red states like Utah, Nebraska, Idaho and South Dakota.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Heading into the final week of open enrollment, Covered California has continued to see signups surge.As of Jan. 20, over 243,000 Californians have newly enrolled in coverage for 2024, a 13 percent increase over the same period last year. Over 1.5 million Covered California enrollees have renewed their coverage.
There is still time for uninsured Californians to sign up for coverage through Covered California, but only until Jan. 31.
“If you don’t have health insurance for yourself or your family, now is the time to enroll,” said Covered California Executive Director Jessica Altman. “With enhanced federal subsidies and a new state program to lower out-of-pocket costs, there has never been more help available to make quality health insurance more affordable and more attainable.”
DC Health Link Open Enrollment Runs Through Next Wednesday, January 31, 2024; Communities Can Attend Free In-Person Enrollment Events
Washington, DC– Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser and DC Health Link are reminding residents that there is one week left to sign up for high-quality, affordable health insurance through DCHealthLink.com, the District’s online state-based health insurance marketplace. Open Enrollment is now open for DC individuals and families and runs through January 31, 2024.
“There is still time to enroll in health insurance before the January 31 deadline. We encourage residents to visit DCHealthLink.com and select a health plan that is right for you and your family,” said Mayor Bowser. “In addition to our online enrollment service, there are a number of outreach events in the coming days where you can get in-person assistance enrolling in high-quality health plans.”
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reports that 21.3 million consumers have signed up for 2024 individual market health insurance coverage through the Marketplaces since the start of the 2024 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period (OEP) on November 1. This includes 16.4 million Marketplace plan selections in the 32 states using the HealthCare.gov platform for the 2024 plan year through the end of the OEP on January 16, 2024 (Week 11+), and 4.9 million plan selections in the 18 states and the District of Columbia with State-based Marketplaces (SBMs) that are using their own eligibility and enrollment platforms, through January 13, 2024 (Week 11) or the end of their OEP[1]. Total nationwide plan selections include 5 million consumers (24% of total) who are new to the Marketplaces for 2024, and 16.3 million consumers (76% of total) who have active 2023 coverage and returned to their respective Marketplaces to renew or select a new plan for 2024.
Historic 21.3 Million People Choose ACA Marketplace Coverage
Marketplace enrollment climbs nearly 5 million higher than previous year
The Biden-Harris Administration announced 21.3 million people selected an Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Marketplace plan during the 2024 Open Enrollment Period. Total plan selections include more than five million people — about a fourth — who are new to the Marketplaces and 16 million people who renewed their coverage. Notably, open enrollment continues in four states and Washington, D.C., through January 31.
Statement by President Joe Biden on the Record-Breaking 2024 Open Enrollment Period Under the Affordable Care Act
Today, we broke another record when it comes to lowering costs and ensuring Americans have access to quality, affordable healthcare: 21.3 million Americans have signed up for health coverage through Affordable Care Act marketplaces. That means 9 million more people have gained coverage under the law - and peace of mind - since I took office. It’s no accident. My actions to protect the Affordable Care Act and lower premiums continue to make a big difference. And the American people have made it clear: they don’t want the Affordable Care Act weakened and repealed – they want it strengthened and protected.
Over 99,000 Nevadans Enrolled in Health Insurance During Nevada Health Link’s Open Enrollment Period
This year marks the State marketplace’s second largest Open Enrollment ever.
(CARSON CITY, NV) – Nevada’s health insurance marketplace, NevadaHealthLink.com, recently wrapped up its two-and-a-half-month Open Enrollment Period on January 15, and final numbers revealed that this year’s enrollment numbers outpaced last year’s totals by 3%. This makes for the second-largest enrollment in the state’s marketplace history, with 99,312 Nevadans enrolling in a Qualified Health Plan and 20,984 enrolling in a Qualified Dental Plan.
I was a bit surprised to hear that this is the 2nd highest OEP enrollment in Nevada's history, but sure enough, they broke 101,000 back in 2022.
Monday marks the 51st anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the now-overturned Supreme Court decision that created the right to an abortion. The 51st may not be an anniversary you would typically mark, but it does fall on an election year. Although New York has long had abortion rights codified in state law, state lawmakers will celebrate the occasion by approving additional measures to expand access to reproductive care as Democrats again hope that the issue will drive voters to the polls in November in ways it hasn’t in the past.
New York already has some of the strongest abortion protections in the country, but state lawmakers annually see an opportunity to expand on reproductive rights.
Nearly a decade after then-Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin nixed a plan for a publicly funded system, advocates have renewed a push to transform health care with a single-payer system.
About 60 House Democrats have signed onto a proposal that calls for eventually replacing private health insurance premiums in the state with a public financing system. This week, supporters of the plan announced the creation of a universal healthcare caucus to push for the approval of the single-payer system.
The bill’s primary sponsor, Rep. Brian Cina, D-Burlington, said despite efforts to bring down the rate of uninsured Vermonters, thousands of people are still without healthcare coverage. He said those who may be eligible for healthcare plans have “fallen through the holes of a tattered social safety net.”
Over the past several months, a handful of community pharmacies in states where abortion remains legal have begun to take advantage of a new rule that allows them to fill prescriptions for the abortion pill mifepristone. Prior to the rule change, which was finalized last January by the Food and Drug Administration, pregnant people had to get the drug directly from their doctor or by mail if using telemedicine, depending on the laws in their state.
Reproductive health experts have said relaxing that requirement could help ease the growing burden on abortion clinics in states where abortion is legal. And perhaps nowhere is the potential for that greater than in Washington state, where efforts are underway to open up access to medication abortion in a radical new way: by training pharmacists not only to dispense abortion pills but also to prescribe them to their walk-in patients.
On the other hand, well, at least if women manage to survive childbirth, they & their newborn baby will have Medicaid coverage for a full year in the future. Via the Austin American-Statesman:
Texas mothers are one step closer to getting health coverage for 12 months following pregnancy.
This week, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved Texas' plan to provide 12 months of postpartum health care coverage through Medicaid or Children's Health Insurance Program instead of the current 60 days. Those programs are for people who qualify based on income. The extended coverage will begin March 1.
Back in September, Inside Health Policy reporter Dorothy Mills-Gregg checked in on "Georgia Pathways," the Peach State's new program which partially expands Medicaid to residents earning up to 100% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), but with a rather significant string attached: Work reporting requirements:
...in spite of nearly every state which tried to (or succeeded in) implement Medicaid work requirements having their programs shut down by the courts, one state's work/reporting managed to survive: Georgia. As explained in the Kaiser article:
The Department, through CMS, will launch a new effort to support patients, hospitals, and providers to help ensure access to emergency health care
Today, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that, together with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), it will launch a series of actions to educate the public about their rights to emergency medical care and to help support efforts of hospitals to meet their obligations under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). As part of this comprehensive plan, the Department will:
It was just 53 days ago that North Carolina became the 40th state (plus DC & the U.S. territories) to fully expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. At the time, around 600,000 lower-income North Carolinians were estimated to be eligible for the public healthcare program.
So where do things stand now? Well, the NC government has posted a handy Medicaid enrollment dashboard which is tracking the data as once a month; the most recent update was on January 12th:
NC Medicaid Expansion Enrollment as of January 12th, 2024: 314,101
The dashboard has some nifty interactive tools letting. you filter enrollees out by plan, age bracket, gender, ethnicity, urban/rural status and county, along with enrollment trends.
To say the topic of student loan program debt forgiveness has gotten a lot of attention in recent years would certainly be an understatement. Plenty of debate has been completed on both sides of the issue, with no real resolution anywhere in sight. In Hawaii, however, some action has been taken with the goal of both helping healthcare workers and also strengthening the healthcare system for residents of the 50th state.
In order to provide the funds needed to help healthcare workers pay off student loan debt that was incurred, this program is going to use a blend of state and private funding. As a starting point, $30 million will be provided by the state and an additional $5 million is going to be contributed by the CEO of Salesforce, Marc Benioff.
On Jan. 1, immigrants may qualify for Medi-Cal regardless of legal status
...Milagro and her husband are among the more than 700,000 immigrants ages 26-49 expected to newly qualify for full health insurance come Jan. 1. That’s when California takes the final step in opening up Medi-Cal, the state’s health care program for low-income residents, to everyone who meets eligibility requirements, regardless of their immigration status.
This is about as minor of an enrollment update as it gets, but for what it's worth, the DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority posted this update a couple of weeks ago:
DC HEALTH BENEFIT EXCHANGE AUTHORITY Enrollment Summary
As of January 4th, 2024
INDIVIDUAL ENROLLMENT
Current Enrollment: 14,248
Enrollment 1 Year Ago: 13,941
CHANGE: +307
...we could now be looking at anywhere from 21.4 - 22.7 million QHPs, for a grand total of somewhere between 22.7 - 24.0M QHPs+BHPs combined by the time the dust settles in every state on January 1st. I'll stick with 23M for the moment just in case...
A week later, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) posted their final pre-deadline Open Enrollment Snapshot Report, which confirmed that over 20.3 million people had selected Qualified Health Plans (QHPs) through December 23rd.
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office of the Health Insurance Marketplace (OHIM) will release biweekly updates on plan selections through CoverME.gov, Maine’s Health Insurance Marketplace.
Plan selections provide a snapshot of activity by new and returning consumers who have selected a plan for 2024. “Plan selections” become “enrollments” once consumers have paid their first monthly premium to begin insurance. These numbers are subject to change as consumers may modify or cancel plans after their initial selection.
The deadline to select a plan for coverage beginning January 1, 2024 is December 15, 2023. Consumers who select a plan between December 16, 2023 and January 16, 2024 will have coverage beginning February 1, 2024.
More than 273,000 Washingtonians signed up for health insurance coverage
Washington Health Benefit Exchange (Exchange) ended 2024 open enrollment (Nov. 1, 2023 – Jan. 15, 2024) with a record 273,000 Washingtonians signed up for health insurance coverage through Washington Healthplanfinder the state’s online health insurance marketplace. This historic high represents an increase of more than 18% over 2023.
About 52,000 new customers gained coverage through Washington Healthplanfinder, a 40% increase over last year, and another record high. New customers include those who transitioned from Apple Health coverage, and those, for the first time ever, who are eligible regardless of immigration status. More customers than ever (86,000) also signed up for dental coverage.
Enrollment grew more than 17% since last year to an all-time high in 11th year of state-based marketplace
BALTIMORE (Jan. 18, 2024) – More people than ever before enrolled in health coverage during the recent open enrollment through Maryland Health Connection.
Open enrollment began Nov. 1, 2023, and ended Jan. 15. During the 90-day enrollment period, 213,895 enrolled – a 17% increase from the 182,166 Marylanders who enrolled a year ago. It was the largest increase and the largest total ever on Maryland’s health insurance marketplace.
“Health care is a basic right that every Marylander deserves. Today, we are one step closer to building a healthier state where everyone can receive the care they need," Governor Wes Moore said. “We will continue to move in partnership to ensure that in Maryland, health care is affordable and accessible to all. It's an integral part of our pledge to leave no one behind."
DENVER— Connect for Health Colorado, the state’s official health insurance marketplace, closed its annual Open Enrollment Period yesterday and reports that 237,107 people have enrolled in a 2024 health insurance plan. That is about 18 percent higher than last year’s end of Open Enrollment total of 201,758 enrollments and is Connect for Health Colorado’s biggest enrollment period ever. Of the total enrollments for 2024 coverage, 77 percent are receiving financial help to reduce premiums.
Additionally, 12,485 people enrolled in a health insurance plan through Colorado Connect, Connect for Health Colorado’s public benefit corporation and online platform. The majority of those Colorado Connect enrollments were from the OmniSalud program, which provides Coloradans who are undocumented with a safe platform to compare plans, apply for financial help, and enroll.
Governor Tim Walz today announced that a record number of Minnesotans signed up for private health insurance plans using MNsure, Minnesota’s official health insurance marketplace. At the close of MNsure’s annual open enrollment period on January 15, 146,445 people had successfully signed up for private health plans for 2024.
It's important to note that the way Minnesota reports "signups" has consistently been a bit higher than what the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) states in their official Open Enrollment Reports. I've never been quite sure whether MNsure lumps in small group market QHPs (SHOP plans) or if it's just some weird clerical methodology issue, but year after year, the CMS report is always around 8-9% lower than what MNsure reports.
For instance, last year, MNsure reported their official QHP enrollment total as 129,537 people...but CMS reported it as just 118,431 (8.6% lower).
Deadline to enroll in 2024 health coverage is Friday, January 19.
Allentown, PA – Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh, Pennie® Executive Director Devon Trolley, and Pennsylvania Insurance Department (PID) Deputy Commissioner Dave Buono joined representatives from Star Community Health today to discuss how the Shapiro Administration and local partners are working together to support Pennsylvanians through federal changes to Medicaid and CHIP renewal requirements, reminding those who do not have health insurance that they can still enroll in coverage for 2024.
Customer Advisory: “In-Line” Enrollment Extension Available through January 17
Customers must call to complete their health insurance enrollment for 2024
DENVER— Connect for Health Colorado, the state’s official health insurance marketplace, is alerting customers who started their plan enrollments or made changes by yesterday’s deadline, January 15, that they have through Wednesday, January 17 at 6:00 p.m. to finish their enrollment. These customers must call Connect for Health Colorado’s Customer Service Center at 855-752-6749 to complete their enrollment.
The official 2024 ACA Open Enrollment Period (OEP) ended last night in most states, but millions of Americans are still eligible to #GetCovered!
This is the best OEP ever for the ACA for several reasons:
The expanded/enhanced premium subsidies first introduced in 2021 via the American Rescue Plan, which make premiums more affordable for those who already qualified while expanding eligibility to millions who weren't previously eligible, are continuing through 2025 via the Inflation Reduction Act;
A dozen states are either launching or expanding their own state-based subsidy programs to make ACA plans even more affordable for their enrollees;
And remember, millions of people will be eligible for zero premium comprehensive major medical policies.
If you've never enrolled in an ACA healthcare policy before, or if you looked into it a few years back but weren't impressed, please give it another shot now. Thanks to these major improvements it's a whole different ballgame.
Here's some important things to know when you #GetCovered for 2024:
BeWell NM, New Mexico's state-based ACA exchange, has launched a very handy new Enrollment Data portal which includes plenty of info for a data hound like myself to pore over:
Last night was the official deadline for the 2024 ACA Open Enrollment Period in New Mexico. As of today, their dashboard reads:
UPDATE: I've received a correction directly from BeWell NM:
because of the MLK holiday, enrollments are being accepted by beWellnm through 11:59 pm today.
Number of enrolled consumers: 55,771
Consumers enrolled in Medical coverage: 54,914
Consumers enrolled in Dental coverage: 14,399
While dental coverage is also important, standalone dental plans aren't considered Qualified Health Plans (QHPs); it's the "Medical Coverage" which is the key number here.
Also, the total number above may look confusing, but most of the Medical & Dental coverage enrollees overlap:
BeWell NM, New Mexico's state-based ACA exchange, has launched a very handy new Enrollment Data portal which includes plenty of info for a data hound like myself to pore over:
First, the top line numbers (as of 1/12/23):
Number of enrolled consumers: 54,318
Consumers enrolled in Medical coverage: 53,526
Consumers enrolled in Dental coverage: 13,787
While dental coverage is also important, standalone dental plans aren't considered Qualified Health Plans (QHPs); it's the "Medical Coverage" which is the key number here.
Also, the total number above may look confusing, but most of the Medical & Dental coverage enrollees overlap:
Medical Only: 40,531
Dental Only: 792
Medical + Dental: 12,995
For comparison, last year BeWell NM reported enrolling just 38,384 people through January 7th, so it breaks out as:
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office of the Health Insurance Marketplace (OHIM) will release biweekly updates on plan selections through CoverME.gov, Maine’s Health Insurance Marketplace.
Plan selections provide a snapshot of activity by new and returning consumers who have selected a plan for 2024. “Plan selections” become “enrollments” once consumers have paid their first monthly premium to begin insurance. These numbers are subject to change as consumers may modify or cancel plans after their initial selection.
The deadline to select a plan for coverage beginning January 1, 2024 is December 15, 2023. Consumers who select a plan between December 16, 2023 and January 16, 2024 will have coverage beginning February 1, 2024.
Completed applications/redeterminations processed through the integrated eligibility system: 48,646
It's my understanding that "Acquisition Summary" refers to CT residents who are brand-new enrollees (never enrolled via the exchange before).
By comparison, last year Access Health CT reported enrolling 106,390 people through January 13th (one extra day since Nov. 1st fell on a Tuesday last year):
2023: 106,390 in 74 days (1,438/day)
2024: 126,874 in 73 days (1,738/day)
In other words, Connect's ACA exchange has enrolled 20.9% more people per day so far.
Record numbers sign-up for 2024 health insurance through Washington Healthplanfinder as deadline nears
Jan. 15 is the last day to sign up for health insurance through Washington Healthplanfinder outside of special enrollment — plans will start Feb. 1
A record number of Washingtonians, more than 263,000, had their health insurance renewed or newly signed-up for a plan since open enrollment began on Nov. 1. This does not include those who are on Washington Apple Health (Medicaid). More than 55,000 Washingtonians also renewed their dental insurance, while more than 21,000 newly signed-up for dental coverage through Washington Healthplanfinder. Washingtonians have until Jan. 15 to sign-up for a 2024 health or dental plan through Washington Healthplanfinder during open enrollment.
As promised, here's my full state-by-state breakout of the latest 2024 ACA Open Enrollment Period "Snapshot" report as we head into the final week of enrollment in most states.
Here's an overview of the year over year comparison. I had to adjust for the missing day (thru 12/23 instead of 12/24 last year). I've also had to adjust for the fact that Virginia moved from the federal exchange to its own platform this year:
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Over 20 Million Selected Affordable Health Coverage in ACA Marketplace Since Start of Open Enrollment Period, a Record High
As January 16 coverage deadline approaches, Biden-Harris Administration continues to encourage Americans to sign up for quality, affordable health care coverage
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced today that over 20 million people have selected an Affordable Care Act (ACA) Health Insurance Marketplace plan since the 2024 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period launched on November 1 — a record number of enrollments.
Jan. 19 will be the last day for Pennsylvanians seeking health coverage for 2024 to enroll through Pennie to get the lowest costs on high-quality coverage
Philadelphia – Today, Pennie Executive Director Devon Trolley, Pennsylvania Insurance Department (PID) Commissioner Michael Humphreys, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh, and Pennsylvania Senator Sharif Street announced an extension until Jan. 19 to enroll in 2024 health coverage through Pennie. Pennie’s Open Enrollment Period typically ends on Jan. 15, but due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, Pennsylvanians will have more time to enroll in a health plan for 2024.
Pennie is Pennsylvania’s official health insurance marketplace and the only place where Pennsylvanians can get financial savings to reduce the cost of coverage and care. Currently, 9 in 10 enrollees qualify and save over $500 a month on average.
via the NJ Dept. of Banking & Insurance (via email; no link yet):
Health Insurance Sign-Ups Reach Record High at Get Covered New Jersey as Open Enrollment Deadline Nears
Residents Urged to Sign up for Health Coverage; Pop-up Events Provide Additional Enrollment Assistance In Advance of January 31st Deadline
TRENTON – New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance Acting Commissioner Justin Zimmerman today announced that more than 366,000 New Jersey residents, a record high for New Jersey, signed up for a 2024 health insurance plan through the state’s Official Health Insurance Marketplace, Get Covered New Jersey, in the first nine weeks of the Open Enrollment Period that started on November 1, 2023. The Acting Commissioner also announced that the department is continuing to hold pop-up enrollment and assistance events at several New Jersey shopping malls for two weeks in January to provide resources and encourage residents to enroll in 2024 health coverage before the end of Open Enrollment on January 31st.
Open Enrollment is the only time Nevadans can freely enroll in a health insurance plan without experiencing a qualifying life event
WHAT:
Nevada Health Link is encouraging Nevadans to join the more than 93,000 others who have enrolled in a health insurance plan this Open Enrollment Period. Nevadans have until January 15 at 11:59 p.m. to enroll in a health insurance plan through NevadaHealthLink.com. Nevada Health Link’s Open Enrollment Period is the only time of year Nevadans can freely enroll in a health insurance plan through the state marketplace without experiencing a qualifying life event, such as getting married, having a baby or moving. For those who enroll now, coverage will take effect on February 1, 2024.
Most of the report is devoted to breaking out enrollment in NY's Basic Health Plan (BHP) program, called the Essential Plan in the Empire State, but it also breaks out enrollment in Qualified Health Plans (QHPs) as of January 1st via their ACA exchange platform by county...including statewide summaries at the bottom.
As of January 1st, 2024, NYSoH reports:
1,197,534 BHP enrollees
276,962 QHP enrollees
I don't remember whether the deadline for January 1st effectuation was 12/15 or 12/31 in New York, but assuming it was 12/31 this means a whopping 32% more people signed up by New Year's Eve than last year at the same point (209,854). If it was 12/15, it's a bit higher (32.6%).
Biggest Open Enrollment Yet for Colorado’s Exchange
Less than two weeks left in the enrollment period for 2024 health coverage
DENVER— Connect for Health Colorado, the state’s official health insurance marketplace, reports that 222,067 people have enrolled in a 2024 health insurance plan as of January 4th. This number of sign-ups not only surpasses the same-day comparison to last year (189,010 enrollments), but also last year’s end of Open Enrollment total (201,758 enrollments).
On a year over year basis, 222K represents a 17.5% increase over a year ago and a 10.1% increase over last year's final tally...with 10 days left for people to enroll.
Every month for years now, the Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services (CMS) has published a monthly press release with a breakout of total Medicare, Medicaid & CHIP enrollment; the most recent one was posted in late February, and ran through November 2022.
Take the first step towards your health goals and start the new year off right by signing up for health insurance through MNsure, Minnesota’s official health insurance marketplace. January 15, 2024, is the last day of MNsure’s open enrollment period and the final deadline to enroll in medical and dental coverage that begins on February 1.
Comprehensive health insurance helps you get the health care you need throughout the year and provides financial protection from unexpected injury or illness. When you buy a plan through MNsure, you can be sure you’re getting quality, comprehensive insurance and not a “junk plan” that provides little or no coverage when you need it most. That’s because every plan sold through MNsure is guaranteed to cover essential health benefits including prescription drugs, emergency services, and hospitalization.
BeWell NM, New Mexico's state-based ACA exchange, has launched a very handy new Enrollment Data portal which includes plenty of info for a data hound like myself to pore over:
First, the top line numbers (as of 1/04/23):
Number of enrolled consumers: 52,780
Consumers enrolled in Medical coverage: 52,018
Consumers enrolled in Dental coverage: 13,237
While dental coverage is also important, standalone dental plans aren't considered Qualified Health Plans (QHPs); it's the "Medical Coverage" which is the key number here.
Also, the total number above may look confusing, but most of the Medical & Dental coverage enrollees overlap:
Medical Only: 39,543
Dental Only: 762
Medical + Dental: 12,475
For comparison, last year BeWell NM reported enrolling just 38,384 people through January 7th, so it breaks out as:
Completed applications/redeterminations processed through the integrated eligibility system: 45,355
It's my understanding that "Acquisition Summary" refers to CT residents who are brand-new enrollees (never enrolled via the exchange before).
By comparison, last year Access Health CT reported enrolling 104,658 people through January 6th (one extra day since Nov. 1st fell on a Tuesday last year):
2023: 104,658 in 66 days (1,586/day)
2024: 124,465 in 65 days (1,915/day)
In other words, Connect's ACA exchange has enrolled 20.7% more people per day so far.
CMS's press release states that they won't be posting the next detailed/state-by-state enrollment breakout until January 10th, so aside from a handful of minor SBM updates here and there, there hasn't been much to report on the enrollment front since then...until this:
Normally, states will review (or "redetermine") whether people enrolled in Medicaid or the CHIP program are still eligible to be covered by it on a monthly (or in some cases, quarterly, I believe) basis.
However, the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), passed by Congress at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, included a provision requiring state Medicaid programs to keep people enrolled through the end of the Public Health Emergency (PHE). In return, states received higher federal funding to the tune of billions of dollars.
As a result, there are tens of millions of Medicaid/CHIP enrollees who didn't have their eligibility status redetermined for as long as three years.
In September 2023, 88,414,773 individuals were enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP.
81,408,432 individuals were enrolled in Medicaid in September 2023, a decrease of 1,621,776 individuals (2.0%) from August 2023.
7,006,341 individuals were enrolled in CHIP in September 2023, an increase of 28,391 individuals (0.4%) from August 2023.
As of September 2023, enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP has decreased by 5,435,967 individuals since March 2023, the final month of the Medicaid continuous enrollment condition under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and amended by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023.
Medicaid enrollment has decreased by 5,309,005 individuals (6.1%).
CHIP enrollment has decreased by 126,962 individuals (1.8%).
Between February 2020 and March 2023, enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP increased by 22,975,671 individuals (32.4%) to 93,850,740.
Medicaid enrollment increased by 22,637,644 individuals (35.3%).
CHIP enrollment increased by 338,027 individuals (5.0%).
Managing diabetes will be a less expensive proposition for more Americans in 2024.
Sanofi has officially joined Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly in lowering the cost of insulin to $35 a month for many patients. The three drug makers are also drastically lowering the list prices for their insulin products.
The price-cutting moves were first announced last spring, but some of them didn’t take effect until Jan. 1.
...Over 8 million Americans need insulin to survive, but up to a quarter of those patients haven't been able to afford the medication and have dangerously rationed doses, according to the ADA.
Now, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, Medicare enrollees pay no more than $35 a month for their insulin prescriptions.
Emergency rooms not required to perform life-saving abortions, federal appeals court rules
The Biden administration reminded hospitals of their obligation to perform life-saving abortions under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act after the overturn of Roe v. Wade. Texas sued, arguing it was an overstep that mandated abortions.
Federal regulations do not require emergency rooms to perform life-saving abortions if it would run afoul of state law, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.
After the overturn of Roe v. Wade in June 2022, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services sent hospitals guidance, reminding them of their obligation to offer stabilizing care, including medically necessary abortions, under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA).
