It was in early 2021 that Congressional Democrats passed & President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which among other things dramatically expanded & enhanced the original premium subsidy formula of the Affordable Care Act, finally bringing the financial aid sliding income scale up to the level it should have been in the first place over a decade earlier.
In addition to beefing up the subsidies along the entire 100 - 400% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) income scale, the ARPA also eliminated the much-maligned "Subsidy Cliff" at 400% FPL, wherein a household earning even $1 more than that had all premium subsidies cut off immediately, requiring middle-class families to pay full price for individual market health insurance policies.
Here's what the original ACA premium subsidy formula looked like compared to the current, enhanced subsidy formula:
Not only is New Mexico's exchange enrollment up a whopping 29% vs. the same point last year, it's actually already 16% higher than the 2024 OEP's final total of 56,472!
It was in early 2021 that Congressional Democrats passed & President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which among other things dramatically expanded & enhanced the original premium subsidy formula of the Affordable Care Act, finally bringing the financial aid sliding income scale up to the level it should have been in the first place over a decade earlier.
In addition to beefing up the subsidies along the entire 100 - 400% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) income scale, the ARPA also eliminated the much-maligned "Subsidy Cliff" at 400% FPL, wherein a household earning even $1 more than that had all premium subsidies cut off immediately, requiring middle-class families to pay full price for individual market health insurance policies.
Here's what the original ACA premium subsidy formula looked like compared to the current, enhanced subsidy formula:
The Maryland Health Benefit Exchange hasn't released any press releases since Oct. 31st, so the only official 2025 Open Enrollment Period (OEP) data I have for the state is from this snapshot report issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) back on Dec. 4th, which placed Maryland enrollment at just 30,270 people as of Nov. 23rd...plus another 185,438 current enrollees who were categorized as having been automatically re-enrolled, for a total of 215,708 QHP selections as of early December.
By comparison, by the end of the 2024 OEP, Maryland reported a total of 213,895 QHP selections, so it certainly looks like the Old Line State is running ahead of last year.
With that in mind, this article from WTOP News sounds about right, although the exact phrasing of some of the numbers make it a little confusing:
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 2025. “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, 2025 is December 15, 2024. Consumers who select a plan between December 16, 2024 and January 15, 2025 will have coverage beginning February 1, 2025.
It was in early 2021 that Congressional Democrats passed & President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which among other things dramatically expanded & enhanced the original premium subsidy formula of the Affordable Care Act, finally bringing the financial aid sliding income scale up to the level it should have been in the first place over a decade earlier.
In addition to beefing up the subsidies along the entire 100 - 400% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) income scale, the ARPA also eliminated the much-maligned "Subsidy Cliff" at 400% FPL, wherein a household earning even $1 more than that had all premium subsidies cut off immediately, requiring middle-class families to pay full price for individual market health insurance policies.
Here's what the original ACA premium subsidy formula looked like compared to the current, enhanced subsidy formula:
It was in early 2021 that Congressional Democrats passed & President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which among other things dramatically expanded & enhanced the original premium subsidy formula of the Affordable Care Act, finally bringing the financial aid sliding income scale up to the level it should have been in the first place over a decade earlier.
In addition to beefing up the subsidies along the entire 100 - 400% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) income scale, the ARPA also eliminated the much-maligned "Subsidy Cliff" at 400% FPL, wherein a household earning even $1 more than that had all premium subsidies cut off immediately, requiring middle-class families to pay full price for individual market health insurance policies.
Here's what the original ACA premium subsidy formula looked like compared to the current, enhanced subsidy formula:
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.
(sigh) Goddammit. This isn't terribly surprising but it's still pretty disappointing.
As laid out in my prior (repeatedly updated) story about this ongoing saga, the eligibility of up to 100,000 or so uninsured DACA recipients to enroll in healthcare coverage via the ACA marketplaces has been bouncing back & forth for some time now. President Biden originally made a rule change to make them eligible to enroll back in May 2024. Unfortunately, earlier this fall a coalition of 19 Republican state Attorneys General filed a lawsuit to block the Biden Administration from enrolling DACA recipients, and the courts have ping-ponged their status a few times ever since.
Things were looking good a week or so ago when the 8th Circuit Court issued a stay on the injunction...but I just got the most recent ruling from the 8th Circuit Court, and it's bad news:
It was in early 2021 that Congressional Democrats passed & President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which among other things dramatically expanded & enhanced the original premium subsidy formula of the Affordable Care Act, finally bringing the financial aid sliding income scale up to the level it should have been in the first place over a decade earlier.
In addition to beefing up the subsidies along the entire 100 - 400% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) income scale, the ARPA also eliminated the much-maligned "Subsidy Cliff" at 400% FPL, wherein a household earning even $1 more than that had all premium subsidies cut off immediately, requiring middle-class families to pay full price for individual market health insurance policies.
Here's what the original ACA premium subsidy formula looked like compared to the current, enhanced subsidy formula:
This morning, the Twitter account NewsWire_US, which claims to be a "U.S. and world news aggregator," posted an amazing-looking graph which purports to break out "Obamacare applications by state for 2025" by states which voted for Donald Trump vs. those which voted for Kamala Harris last month.
Here's the graph, which includes no further context (including any data sources...NewsWire claims it came from Reuters but I can't find the original link to a story by them with this graph) beyond making it look like a whopping 82% of ACA enrollees live in Trump states:
Update: Here's the original Reuters article, which was actually published on Dec. 11th, which at least explains why it only includes data through Nov. 16th/9th, anyway.
It was in early 2021 that Congressional Democrats passed & President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which among other things dramatically expanded & enhanced the original premium subsidy formula of the Affordable Care Act, finally bringing the financial aid sliding income scale up to the level it should have been in the first place over a decade earlier.
In addition to beefing up the subsidies along the entire 100 - 400% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) income scale, the ARPA also eliminated the much-maligned "Subsidy Cliff" at 400% FPL, wherein a household earning even $1 more than that had all premium subsidies cut off immediately, requiring middle-class families to pay full price for individual market health insurance policies.
Here's what the original ACA premium subsidy formula looked like compared to the current, enhanced subsidy formula:
Last week I reposted a press release & video from the Rhode Island Dept. of Administration explaining the details of a major security breach of the state's social services system.
Today it looks like the issue was a lot worse than I thought. via WPRI:
On Monday, Gov. Dan McKee said his team has identified 650,000 people whose personal information was stolen in the recent cyberattack on the state’s IT system for social services.
Yikes. FWIW, Rhode Island only has around 1.1 million people, so this basically means that 60% of the entire state population has had their personal info compromised.
...Earlier this month, the cyberattack shut down the state’s IT system known as RIBridges, which serves as an eligibility database for a host of social services, such as SNAP and Medicaid, along with subsidized health insurance through HealthSourceRI.
With Open Enrollment going on now through Nevada’s official health insurance marketplace known as NevadaHealthLink.com, there are less than two weeks left for Nevadans to get coverage starting the first of the new year. Nevadans must enroll in a plan by 11:59 p.m. on December 31, 2024, for their health insurance coverage to be effective starting January 1, 2025.
Those who don’t enroll by December 31 will still have a chance to enroll in coverage through January 15, 2025, however, those who enroll between January 1 and January 15, 2025, will have coverage beginning February 1, 2025.
Open Enrollment began on November 1 and since then, over 30,000 Nevadans have actively enrolled in a plan, with 15,236 being new to enroll on Nevada Health Link. The Open Enrollment Period is the only time of year Nevadans can freely enroll in a health insurance plan through NevadaHealthLink.com without experiencing a qualifying life event, such as getting married, having a baby or moving.
Not only is New Mexico's exchange enrollment up a whopping 29% vs. the same point last year, it's actually already 15% higher than the 2024 OEP's final total of 56,472!
Now that the two largest ACA marketplaces (HealthCare.Gov, which hosts 31 states, and Covered California) have joined a half-dozen other states in posting fairly recent 2025 Open Enrollment Period updates, I figured it would be a good time to take a look at where things stand ahead of the big holiday break.
Across 38 states, a total of around 19.5 million people have selected Qualified Health Plans (QHPs) via either the federal or state-based exchanges as of anywhere from 12/05 - 12/18. Collectively, this is roughly 16.6% higher than the same/nearly the same dates a year ago. It's important to remember that Georgia moved from the federal exchange to its own state-based marketplace this year, which is why ~1.2 million enrollees have been subtracted from the 2024 HC.gov total. Note that the HC.gov numbers are rounded off to the nearest 100K, per CMS's press releases both years.
Covered California Hits Record Enrollment Before its First Key Open Enrollment Deadline on Dec. 31
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Covered California has surpassed 1.8 million enrollees, reaching its record-high enrollment with over a week until the first open enrollment deadline on Dec. 31.
This open enrollment, 143,686 Californians have signed up for 2025 coverage as of Dec. 14, marking a 3 percent increase over the same period last year.
Another 1,647,162 Californians have renewed their coverage so far, a 4 percent increase over the same period last year.
Combined, that's 1,790,848 Californians who have selected ACA exchange coverage for 2025. Taking the percents above literally that would mean CA had ~1,723,311 QHP selections thru 12/14/23 last year (up 3.9% overall).
It was in early 2021 that Congressional Democrats passed & President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which among other things dramatically expanded & enhanced the original premium subsidy formula of the Affordable Care Act, finally bringing the financial aid sliding income scale up to the level it should have been in the first place over a decade earlier.
In addition to beefing up the subsidies along the entire 100 - 400% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) income scale, the ARPA also eliminated the much-maligned "Subsidy Cliff" at 400% FPL, wherein a household earning even $1 more than that had all premium subsidies cut off immediately, requiring middle-class families to pay full price for individual market health insurance policies.
Here's what the original ACA premium subsidy formula looked like compared to the current, enhanced subsidy formula:
It was in early 2021 that Congressional Democrats passed & President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which among other things dramatically expanded & enhanced the original premium subsidy formula of the Affordable Care Act, finally bringing the financial aid sliding income scale up to the level it should have been in the first place over a decade earlier.
In addition to beefing up the subsidies along the entire 100 - 400% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) income scale, the ARPA also eliminated the much-maligned "Subsidy Cliff" at 400% FPL, wherein a household earning even $1 more than that had all premium subsidies cut off immediately, requiring middle-class families to pay full price for individual market health insurance policies.
Here's what the original ACA premium subsidy formula looked like compared to the current, enhanced subsidy formula:
It was in early 2021 that Congressional Democrats passed & President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which among other things dramatically expanded & enhanced the original premium subsidy formula of the Affordable Care Act, finally bringing the financial aid sliding income scale up to the level it should have been in the first place over a decade earlier.
In addition to beefing up the subsidies along the entire 100 - 400% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) income scale, the ARPA also eliminated the much-maligned "Subsidy Cliff" at 400% FPL, wherein a household earning even $1 more than that had all premium subsidies cut off immediately, requiring middle-class families to pay full price for individual market health insurance policies.
Here's what the original ACA premium subsidy formula looked like compared to the current, enhanced subsidy formula:
Under the Inflation Reduction Act, some people with Medicare will pay less for some Part B drugs because the drug’s price increased faster than the rate of inflation.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), today announced that some Medicare enrollees will pay less for 64 drugs available through Medicare Part B. The drugs will have a lowered Part B coinsurance rate from January 1, 2025 – March 31, 2025, since drug companies raised prices for each of these 64 drugs faster than the rate of inflation. Over 853,000 people with Medicare use these drugs annually to treat conditions such as cancer, osteoporosis, and substance use disorder. Since April 1, 2023, people with Medicare have seen savings on over 120 drugs thanks to Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare Prescription Drug Inflation Rebate Program.
It was in early 2021 that Congressional Democrats passed & President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which among other things dramatically expanded & enhanced the original premium subsidy formula of the Affordable Care Act, finally bringing the financial aid sliding income scale up to the level it should have been in the first place over a decade earlier.
In addition to beefing up the subsidies along the entire 100 - 400% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) income scale, the ARPA also eliminated the much-maligned "Subsidy Cliff" at 400% FPL, wherein a household earning even $1 more than that had all premium subsidies cut off immediately, requiring middle-class families to pay full price for individual market health insurance policies.
Here's what the original ACA premium subsidy formula looked like compared to the current, enhanced subsidy formula:
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is committed to a robust Marketplace Open Enrollment process for consumers so they can easily purchase high-quality, affordable health care coverage. CMS reports that a record 16.6 million consumers signed up for plan year 2025 and will receive up to a full year of coverage beginning January 1. Of those consumers, 2 million are new to the Marketplace this year. This represents selections in the 31 states that use HealthCare.gov. Plan selection continues in most State-based Marketplaces, as well. The next national snapshot will be available in early January.
The footnote at the bottom confirms: "These metrics reflect available Federally-facilitated Marketplaces (FFMs) data through December 18, 2024."
Over 150k Minnesotans have signed up for health insurance since November 1
ST. PAUL, Minn.—Following last year’s incredible enrollment success, MNsure is pleased to report yet another new record for health insurance sign-ups in Minnesota.
Between November 1 and the first deadline (December 18), 151,098 Minnesotans used MNsure.org to sign up for qualified health plans. This represents a 14% increase in private health plan sign-ups compared to the same time last year.
This is excellent news, however, as happens every year with MNsure, it comes with a big caveat.
Idaho actually already launched their 2025 Open Enrollment Period on October 15th, and it only runs through December 16th.*
...*Idaho has continued to doing this even though Nov. 1st has almost always been the official start date and the Biden Admin extended the end date out to Jan. 15th several years ago. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued new rules last year which I had thought were supposed to crack down on this & bring Idaho in line with other states, but apparently the Gem State was grandfathered in.
It was in early 2021 that Congressional Democrats passed & President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which among other things dramatically expanded & enhanced the original premium subsidy formula of the Affordable Care Act, finally bringing the financial aid sliding income scale up to the level it should have been in the first place over a decade earlier.
In addition to beefing up the subsidies along the entire 100 - 400% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) income scale, the ARPA also eliminated the much-maligned "Subsidy Cliff" at 400% FPL, wherein a household earning even $1 more than that had all premium subsidies cut off immediately, requiring middle-class families to pay full price for individual market health insurance policies.
Here's what the original ACA premium subsidy formula looked like compared to the current, enhanced subsidy formula:
Nevada Health Link hasn't published a formal press release about this yet (I'm assuming they're waiting until they actually break 100K to do so, which would be perfect timing since the deadline to enroll for January 1st coverage is New Year's Eve), but I just found this in their December Executive Director's Report from 2 days ago:
OPEN ENROLLMENT 2025
Following the close of week seven, the Plan Year 2025 OEP is the Exchange’s highest performing to date. The annual passive renewals (or Auto-renewals) job was completed in mid-October with a greater than 99.9% renewal success rate.
Holy crap. That's astonishing.
When OEP began on November 1, 91,555 individuals were enrolled in 2025 health coverage, and 16,820 individuals were enrolled in dental coverage, our highest starting numbers ever.
(I'm assuming that's a typo & should be 2024 health coverage, since obviously you can't have anyone enrolled in 2025 coverage prior to OEP launching).
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has published two 2025 ACA Open Enrollment Period "snapshot reports," both of which had above-the-fold numbers which make it look as though enrollment numbers are lagging significantly behind last year's record-breaking totals:
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is committed to creating a robust Marketplace Open Enrollment process for consumers so they can effortlessly purchase high-quality, affordable health care coverage. CMS reports that nearly 988,000 consumers who do not currently have health care coverage through the individual market Marketplace have signed up for plan year 2025 coverage.
NJDOBI Announces Record Enrollment to Date for 2025 Health Insurance Through Get Covered New Jersey
Residents Must Enroll by Dec. 31 for Coverage Starting Jan. 1; Open Enrollment Ends Jan. 31
TRENTON — Nearly 450,000 New Jersey residents have signed up for a 2025 health insurance plan through Get Covered New Jersey, the state’s Official Health Insurance Marketplace, in the first five weeks of the state’s Open Enrollment Period – a dramatic increase from 330,901 who had selected plans by this time last year, New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance (DOBI) Commissioner Justin Zimmerman announced today.
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was created to protect eligible young adults who were brought to the U.S. as children from deportation and to provide them with work authorization for temporary, renewable periods. As of December 31, 2022, there were roughly 580,000 active DACA recipients from close to 200 different countries of birth residing all over the U.S.
While individuals with DACA status can be authorized to work, they remain ineligible for many federal programs, including health coverage through Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance Marketplaces. These restrictions result in higher uninsured rates among DACA recipients, contributing to barriers accessing health care.
Denver, Colo.– Connect for Health Colorado, the state’s official health insurance marketplace, is celebrating a record-breaking open enrollment period, with 256,051 Coloradans enrolled in health coverage that begins Jan. 1.
To date, the number of Coloradans who enrolled in health insurance plans for plan year 2025 is more than the total number of people (237,107) who enrolled through Connect for Health Colorado last year.
The official total I was sent is 256,051 Qualified Health Plan (QHP) selections to date, which is 21% more than C4HCO had at the same point last year and 8% higher than last year's final Open Enrollment Period tally.
It was in early 2021 that Congressional Democrats passed & President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which among other things dramatically expanded & enhanced the original premium subsidy formula of the Affordable Care Act, finally bringing the financial aid sliding income scale up to the level it should have been in the first place over a decade earlier.
In addition to beefing up the subsidies along the entire 100 - 400% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) income scale, the ARPA also eliminated the much-maligned "Subsidy Cliff" at 400% FPL, wherein a household earning even $1 more than that had all premium subsidies cut off immediately, requiring middle-class families to pay full price for individual market health insurance policies.
Here's what the original ACA premium subsidy formula looked like compared to the current, enhanced subsidy formula:
December 16, 2024—Massachusetts residents have just one week left before the deadline to get health insurance for the new year, but still have the opportunity to make sure they can go into 2025 with coverage that affordably takes care of their health and wellness needs.
Open Enrollment started Nov. 1 and runs through Jan. 23. However, most people who need health insurance—including people who have recently moved to Massachusetts, who are participants in the state’s growing gig and creative economies, or who simply haven’t had health coverage in many months or years—want coverage to start the new year. The deadline for a plan starting Jan. 1 is Monday, Dec. 23.
It was in early 2021 that Congressional Democrats passed & President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which among other things dramatically expanded & enhanced the original premium subsidy formula of the Affordable Care Act, finally bringing the financial aid sliding income scale up to the level it should have been in the first place over a decade earlier.
In addition to beefing up the subsidies along the entire 100 - 400% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) income scale, the ARPA also eliminated the much-maligned "Subsidy Cliff" at 400% FPL, wherein a household earning even $1 more than that had all premium subsidies cut off immediately, requiring middle-class families to pay full price for individual market health insurance policies.
Here's what the original ACA premium subsidy formula looked like compared to the current, enhanced subsidy formula:
I don't really write a whole lot about the Small Group Market, which consists of employer-sponsored healthcare coverage for companies with fewer than either 50 employees (in a few states the small group market serves companies with up to 100 employees).
The bulk of my small group market analysis is limited to my annual Rate Change project, where I break out & analyze annual premium rate changes for carriers in both the individual and small group markets. However, even then, while I try to run the numbers for the small group market in each state, I usually don't have much to say about it, and a lot of states don't provide actual carrier-level enrollment data publicly anyway, which means I can usually only run an unweighted average rate change at best.
Small-group plans effective since January 2014 are required to fully comply with Affordable Care Act (ACA) rules that apply to individual and small-group health plans.
Not only is New Mexico's exchange enrollment up a whopping 31% vs. the same point last year, it's actually already 13.5% higher than the 2024 OEP's final total of 56,472!
It was in early 2021 that Congressional Democrats passed & President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which among other things dramatically expanded & enhanced the original premium subsidy formula of the Affordable Care Act, finally bringing the financial aid sliding income scale up to the level it should have been in the first place over a decade earlier.
In addition to beefing up the subsidies along the entire 100 - 400% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) income scale, the ARPA also eliminated the much-maligned "Subsidy Cliff" at 400% FPL, wherein a household earning even $1 more than that had all premium subsidies cut off immediately, requiring middle-class families to pay full price for individual market health insurance policies.
Here's what the original ACA premium subsidy formula looked like compared to the current, enhanced subsidy formula:
On December 13, 2024, the State was informed by its vendor, Deloitte, that there was a major security threat to RIBridges, the system that manages many of the state’s social services programs. Additionally, Deloitte confirmed that there is a high probability that a cybercriminal has obtained files with personally identifiable information.
This is the State of Rhode Island’s dedicated webpage for all the latest information on the breach. We understand this is an alarming situation, and we appreciate your patience as we investigate this matter. We will continue to navigate this challenge together.
Update 12/16/24: 5 Steps to Protect Your Personal Information Today
Governor McKee issued a public service announcement to encourage potentially impacted Rhode Islanders to take 5 steps to protect their personal information today. (see video above)
Update 12/15/24: RIBridges Data Breach Hotline Now Available
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 2025. “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, 2025 is December 15, 2024. Consumers who select a plan between December 16, 2024 and January 15, 2025 will have coverage beginning February 1, 2025.
It was in early 2021 that Congressional Democrats passed & President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which among other things dramatically expanded & enhanced the original premium subsidy formula of the Affordable Care Act, finally bringing the financial aid sliding income scale up to the level it should have been in the first place over a decade earlier.
In addition to beefing up the subsidies along the entire 100 - 400% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) income scale, the ARPA also eliminated the much-maligned "Subsidy Cliff" at 400% FPL, wherein a household earning even $1 more than that had all premium subsidies cut off immediately, requiring middle-class families to pay full price for individual market health insurance policies.
Here's what the original ACA premium subsidy formula looked like compared to the current, enhanced subsidy formula:
It was in early 2021 that Congressional Democrats passed & President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which among other things dramatically expanded & enhanced the original premium subsidy formula of the Affordable Care Act, finally bringing the financial aid sliding income scale up to the level it should have been in the first place over a decade earlier.
In addition to beefing up the subsidies along the entire 100 - 400% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) income scale, the ARPA also eliminated the much-maligned "Subsidy Cliff" at 400% FPL, wherein a household earning even $1 more than that had all premium subsidies cut off immediately, requiring middle-class families to pay full price for individual market health insurance policies.
Here's what the original ACA premium subsidy formula looked like compared to the current, enhanced subsidy formula:
GOP Reportedly Rejects APTC Offer; Wyden Signals He’s Open To Compromise
Senate Finance Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR) Tuesday suggested he may be open to changes to the enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits in order to get Republicans on board an extension of the policy that has been in effect since 2021 and will expire at the end of 2025 without congressional action.
Democrats had proposed one way of giving a hand to families that have fallen through the cracks when it comes to health care, Wyden said of the APTC extension. “If Republicans don’t care for that approach, they oughtta come back and say, ‘here’s what we’d like to do instead,” or else we'll just make the assumption they’re not interested,” he said.
After an eventful month and a half, I’m impressed with Connect for Health Colorado’s growth. We’re seeing about 20 percent more health insurance enrollments over this time last year, an increase made even more impressive considering the enrollment record we achieved last year. I’m thankful to see that enrollments are outpacing previous years, as we announced last week on Get Covered Day, Dec. 5th.
My greatest thanks goes to you, our valued stakeholders, who diligently work to increase access, affordability, and choice for health care coverage in Colorado. As we face a new year of discussions about it all, real Coloradans are still able to afford to cover themselves and their families thanks to your hard work.
December 15 Deadline Approaches for Enrollment in Health Coverage Beginning January 1, 2025 Through NY State of Health
New Cost Savings and Expanded Eligibility in the Essential Plan and Qualified Health Plans Make Insurance More Affordable for More New Yorkers
ALBANY, N.Y. (December 13, 2024) — The State Department of Health’s NY State of Health, the State’s official health plan Marketplace, reminds New Yorkers that December 15 is the last day to enroll in health coverage beginning January 1, 2025. This year brings unprecedented cost savings in the Essential Plan and Qualified Health Plans, which offer dramatically reduced out-of-pocket costs.
It was in early 2021 that Congressional Democrats passed & President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which among other things dramatically expanded & enhanced the original premium subsidy formula of the Affordable Care Act, finally bringing the financial aid sliding income scale up to the level it should have been in the first place over a decade earlier.
In addition to beefing up the subsidies along the entire 100 - 400% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) income scale, the ARPA also eliminated the much-maligned "Subsidy Cliff" at 400% FPL, wherein a household earning even $1 more than that had all premium subsidies cut off immediately, requiring middle-class families to pay full price for individual market health insurance policies.
Here's what the original ACA premium subsidy formula looked like compared to the current, enhanced subsidy formula:
Additional Opportunity for Georgians to Enroll in Health Coverage that will begin on January 1, 2025; Coverage Begins January 1 for Plans Selected by December 20
The Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire (OCI) announces an extension of the deadline to enroll in coverage that will begin on January 1, 2025. “Open Enrollment is the optimal time for Georgians to explore affordable options for health coverage,” said Commissioner King.
Connect for Health Colorado’s Statement Regarding a Federal Court’s Dec. 9 Decision in Kansas v. United States of America
Denver, Colo. – Kevin Patterson, chief executive officer of Connect for Health Colorado, released the following statement regarding a federal court’s Dec. 9 decision regarding Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients’ ability to enroll in a qualified health plan through the health insurance marketplace.
“The state of Colorado is not affected by a federal court’s Dec. 9 decision in Kansas v. United States of America,” said Kevin Patterson, chief executive officer of Connect for Health Colorado, the state’s official health insurance marketplace. “For plan year 2025, DACA recipients in Colorado can still enroll in health insurance, and may still qualify for financial assistance for health coverage. We will continue to monitor developments and stay in touch with our partners and enrollees as needed.”
It was in early 2021 that Congressional Democrats passed & President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which among other things dramatically expanded & enhanced the original premium subsidy formula of the Affordable Care Act, finally bringing the financial aid sliding income scale up to the level it should have been in the first place over a decade earlier.
In addition to beefing up the subsidies along the entire 100 - 400% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) income scale, the ARPA also eliminated the much-maligned "Subsidy Cliff" at 400% FPL, wherein a household earning even $1 more than that had all premium subsidies cut off immediately, requiring middle-class families to pay full price for individual market health insurance policies.
Here's what the original ACA premium subsidy formula looked like compared to the current, enhanced subsidy formula:
A record-breaking number of Washingtonians have already signed up during open enrollment, which runs through Jan. 15
More than 271,000 Washingtonians either signed up for, or renewed, their health insurance through Washington Healthplanfinder since Nov. 1. With five weeks remaining in open enrollment, these numbers have already exceeded the total for 2024. These numbers do not include Washington Apple Health clients.
Note: Apple Health is what Medicaid is called in Washington State.
Open enrollment is currently underway for 2025, individuals who sign up by Sunday, Dec. 15 will start on Jan. 1. Those who sign up between Dec. 16 and Jan. 15, will begin on Feb. 1. Through wahealthplanfinder.org, Washingtonians can shop, compare and select plans. Premium savings may be available to help make monthly costs more affordable.
Greensburg, PA – Lt. Gov. Austin Davis visited Adagio Health in Greensburg today to remind uninsured Pennsylvanians that December 15 is the deadline to sign up for coverage that is effective on January 1, 2025, and encouraged them to explore their options at Pennie, the Commonwealth’s health insurance marketplace.
“The Shapiro-Davis Administration wants every Pennsylvanian to have the freedom to chart their own course – and the ability to get quality, affordable health coverage is part of that freedom,” said Davis. “If you need health insurance for yourself or your family, you should check out pennie.com to shop for the best and most affordable plan for your needs, and you should do it before the December 15 deadline to ensure coverage that starts on New Year’s Day. In western Pennsylvania, there have been some changes to plans and costs, so it’s best to shop around and see what’s available.”
Denver, Colo. – Connect for Health Colorado, the state’s official health insurance marketplace, is reminding Coloradans that Dec. 15 is the deadline to enroll in health coverage that starts Jan. 1, 2025.
With the Dec. 15 deadline fast approaching, customers are encouraged to begin the application process today to explore available health insurance plan options and financial assistance, and to avoid a lapse in coverage.
“Connect for Health Colorado is here to help Coloradans enroll in high-quality, affordable health insurance for 2025, so don’t wait – get started today,” said Kevin Patterson, Chief Executive Officer of Connect for Health Colorado.
With enhanced federal tax credits still in effect for 2025, Coloradans can expect a high level of financial support, with 81% of customers qualifying for help. Three out of five Coloradans are expected to find a plan for $10 or less a month. Additionally, people who are re-enrolling may find more affordable health insurance if they shop and change plans.
Covered California Continues “Let’s Talk Health” Campaign With Record Financial Support Available As Its 12th Open Enrollment Continues
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Covered California continued its “Let’s Talk Health” campaign at the Beale Memorial Library today with the 2025 open-enrollment period underway.
Regardless of the results of the 2024 election, open enrollment is ongoing and coverage through Affordable Care Act marketplaces throughout the nation, including Covered California, is unaffected for 2025.
“Our doors are open, and now is the time for Californians to sign up for health insurance,” Covered California Executive Director Jessica Altman said. “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act remains the law of the land, and the election results do not affect the financial assistance available to enrollees through federal and enhanced state subsidies next year. The most financial assistance ever offered to Californians to help pay for health care coverage remains available for 2025.”
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesotans who need health insurance have just one week left to enroll in a full year of coverage through MNsure, Minnesota’s official health insurance marketplace.
Wednesday, December 18, is the deadline to enroll for coverage starting January 1. For Minnesotans who sign up December 19 – January 15, 2025, coverage will start on February 1 instead.
“Shopping for a health insurance plan at MNsure.org is the best way to ensure you get all the savings you’re eligible for and high-quality, comprehensive coverage for 2025,”said MNsure CEO Libby Caulum. “We’re here to serve Minnesotans. Plans sold elsewhere may not cover the same health benefits or include the important consumer protections that are guaranteed with all plans sold through the MNsure marketplace.”
It was in early 2021 that Congressional Democrats passed & President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which among other things dramatically expanded & enhanced the original premium subsidy formula of the Affordable Care Act, finally bringing the financial aid sliding income scale up to the level it should have been in the first place over a decade earlier.
In addition to beefing up the subsidies along the entire 100 - 400% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) income scale, the ARPA also eliminated the much-maligned "Subsidy Cliff" at 400% FPL, wherein a household earning even $1 more than that had all premium subsidies cut off immediately, requiring middle-class families to pay full price for individual market health insurance policies.
Here's what the original ACA premium subsidy formula looked like compared to the current, enhanced subsidy formula:
Originally published 3/30/18; updated 12/10/24 with figures adjusted for enrollment growth & inflation through 2024.
Whenever the discussion of what the next Big Move for healthcare policy should be comes up in Democratic/progressive circles, the incredibly difficult path which had to be paved to get the Affordable Care Act passed in 2009-2010 is often brought up as an example of how difficult it is to make even minor changes, much less major ones.
That gets a bit repetitive after awhile, however, so here's another excellent case study from 20 years earlier: The Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act of 1988.
It was in early 2021 that Congressional Democrats passed & President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which among other things dramatically expanded & enhanced the original premium subsidy formula of the Affordable Care Act, finally bringing the financial aid sliding income scale up to the level it should have been in the first place over a decade earlier.
In addition to beefing up the subsidies along the entire 100 - 400% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) income scale, the ARPA also eliminated the much-maligned "Subsidy Cliff" at 400% FPL, wherein a household earning even $1 more than that had all premium subsidies cut off immediately, requiring middle-class families to pay full price for individual market health insurance policies.
Here's what the original ACA premium subsidy formula looked like compared to the current, enhanced subsidy formula:
Customers who enroll on or before Dec. 15, 2024 will have coverage beginning Jan. 1, 2025
HARTFORD, Conn. (Dec. 9, 2024) — Access Health CT (AHCT) today announced the deadline to enroll in health and dental coverage starting Jan. 1, 2025 is Dec. 15, 2024. Customers who enroll Dec. 16, 2024 through Jan. 15, 2025 will have coverage starting Feb. 1, 2025.
The Open Enrollment Period for Connecticut residents to shop, compare and enroll in health insurance or renew their coverage began Nov. 1, 2024 and runs through Jan. 15, 2025. Customers may enroll in only health or dental coverage, or both.
AHCT is the only place state residents can get financial help to pay for their health insurance. Nearly 90% of AHCT customers receive financial assistance to help pay for their health insurance. Some customers might qualify for the Covered CT Program. This program provides no-cost coverage for eligible residents.
New enrollment is actually down slightly year over year, but enrollment jumped so much last year that there's a much larger pool of current enrollees to renew their policies.
It was in early 2021 that Congressional Democrats passed & President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which among other things dramatically expanded & enhanced the original premium subsidy formula of the Affordable Care Act, finally bringing the financial aid sliding income scale up to the level it should have been in the first place over a decade earlier.
In addition to beefing up the subsidies along the entire 100 - 400% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) income scale, the ARPA also eliminated the much-maligned "Subsidy Cliff" at 400% FPL, wherein a household earning even $1 more than that had all premium subsidies cut off immediately, requiring middle-class families to pay full price for individual market health insurance policies.
Here's what the original ACA premium subsidy formula looked like compared to the current, enhanced subsidy formula:
It was in early 2021 that Congressional Democrats passed & President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which among other things dramatically expanded & enhanced the original premium subsidy formula of the Affordable Care Act, finally bringing the financial aid sliding income scale up to the level it should have been in the first place over a decade earlier.
In addition to beefing up the subsidies along the entire 100 - 400% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) income scale, the ARPA also eliminated the much-maligned "Subsidy Cliff" at 400% FPL, wherein a household earning even $1 more than that had all premium subsidies cut off immediately, requiring middle-class families to pay full price for individual market health insurance policies.
Here's what the original ACA premium subsidy formula looked like compared to the current, enhanced subsidy formula:
It was in early 2021 that Congressional Democrats passed & President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which among other things dramatically expanded & enhanced the original premium subsidy formula of the Affordable Care Act, finally bringing the financial aid sliding income scale up to the level it should have been in the first place over a decade earlier.
In addition to beefing up the subsidies along the entire 100 - 400% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) income scale, the ARPA also eliminated the much-maligned "Subsidy Cliff" at 400% FPL, wherein a household earning even $1 more than that had all premium subsidies cut off immediately, requiring middle-class families to pay full price for individual market health insurance policies.
Here's what the original ACA premium subsidy formula looked like compared to the current, enhanced subsidy formula:
It was in early 2021 that Congressional Democrats passed & President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which among other things dramatically expanded & enhanced the original premium subsidy formula of the Affordable Care Act, finally bringing the financial aid sliding income scale up to the level it should have been in the first place over a decade earlier.
In addition to beefing up the subsidies along the entire 100 - 400% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) income scale, the ARPA also eliminated the much-maligned "Subsidy Cliff" at 400% FPL, wherein a household earning even $1 more than that had all premium subsidies cut off immediately, requiring middle-class families to pay full price for individual market health insurance policies.
Here's what the original ACA premium subsidy formula looked like compared to the current, enhanced subsidy formula:
Over at the JAMA Network, KFF Executive VP for health policy Larry Levitt has a piece which lays out the most likely actions (or in one case, lack of action) that the incoming Trump Administration & Republican-controlled Congress will take now that they have a second shot at repealing the Affordable Care Act:
With many tax cuts from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act expiring at the end of 2025, a high-profile Congressional debate over extending those tax reductions and enacting new ones is likely. There will be pressure from some in Congress for spending cuts to help pay for those tax cuts. Trump has said that Social Security and Medicare cuts are off the table, and defense reductions are unlikely as well. That means almost half of federal spending would be protected from cuts, leaving Medicaid, which is the next largest source of federal spending, and the ACA as prime targets for spending cuts. The math is inescapable.
Re: The Effects of Not Extending the Expanded Premium Tax Credits for the Number of Uninsured People and the Growth in Premiums
Dear Chairman Wyden, Ranking Member Neal, Senator Shaheen, and Congresswoman Underwood:
You have asked the Congressional Budget Office to discuss the effects on health insurance coverage and premiums that will result from not extending—either for one year or permanently—the expanded premium tax credit structure provided in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA, Public Law 117-2).
ARPA reduced the maximum amount eligible enrollees must contribute toward premiums for health insurance purchased through the marketplaces established by the Affordable Care Act, and it extended eligibility to people whose income is above 400 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL). Those provisions were extended through calendar year 2025 in the 2022 reconciliation act (P.L. 117-169).
Maine Superintendent of Insurance Bob Carey encourages Maine consumers to be cautious when shopping for health plans during the annual Affordable Care Act (ACA) open enrollment period. Open enrollment for plan year 2025 is open now. For coverage to begin on January 1, 2025, Maine people must enroll by December 15, 2024. The final deadline to enroll is January 15, 2025 for coverage to begin on February 1, 2025.
The Maine Bureau of Insurance wants consumers to be aware that many legitimate-looking health plans they may see when doing an internet search may not offer comprehensive coverage and may not be authorized to be sold in Maine.
Consumers are urged to shop for plans at CoverME.gov, Maine’s health insurance marketplace, which offers health plans that have been reviewed and approved by the Bureau of Insurance and is the only place Maine residents can get financial savings to lower monthly premiums. Consumers can also call CoverME.gov at 1-866-636-0355; TTY: 711, Monday-Friday, 8 am – 8 pm during the Open Enrollment Period.
It was in early 2021 that Congressional Democrats passed & President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which among other things dramatically expanded & enhanced the original premium subsidy formula of the Affordable Care Act, finally bringing the financial aid sliding income scale up to the level it should have been in the first place over a decade earlier.
In addition to beefing up the subsidies along the entire 100 - 400% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) income scale, the ARPA also eliminated the much-maligned "Subsidy Cliff" at 400% FPL, wherein a household earning even $1 more than that had all premium subsidies cut off immediately, requiring middle-class families to pay full price for individual market health insurance policies.
Here's what the original ACA premium subsidy formula looked like compared to the current, enhanced subsidy formula:
Connect for Health Colorado Announces ‘Extraordinary’ Number of People Enrolling in Health Insurance for Plan Year 2025
Enrollment is outpacing previous years, and Dec. 15 is the deadline to sign up for coverage that begins Jan. 1, 2025.
Denver, Colo.– Today is Get Covered Colorado Day, a day of action designed to encourage as many Coloradans as possible to enroll in 2025 health insurance during Connect for Health Colorado's annual open enrollment period.
According to Connect for Health Colorado, the state’s official health insurance marketplace, enrollment for plan year 2025 is fast outpacing previous years. Since Nov. 1st, 221,443 residents have enrolled in a health insurance plan. That’s 23% more enrollments than roughly the same time period last year.
Over 17,815 Nevadans Enroll Through Nevada Health Link in First Month of Open Enrollment Period
CARSON CITY, Nev. – Open Enrollment through NevadaHealthLink.com began on November 1, and Nevadans are taking action to secure their health coverage for the upcoming new year. In the first month, over 17,815 individuals have actively shopped for and enrolled in plans, demonstrating a strong start to this year’s enrollment period.
Among these enrollees, 7,270 are new to Nevada Health Link, a 10% increase in the number of new enrollees compared to the same period last year. Additionally, 10,545 consumers actively re-enrolled or updated their plans for 2025. In total, Nevada Health Link now provides coverage to over 95,000 Nevadans.
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Won’t Pay for the Complete Duration of Anesthesia for Patients’ Surgical Procedures
CHICAGO – In an unprecedented move, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield plans representing Connecticut, New York and Missouri have unilaterally declared it will no longer pay for anesthesia care if the surgery or procedure goes beyond an arbitrary time limit, regardless of how long the surgical procedure takes. The American Society of Anesthesiologists calls on Anthem to reverse this proposal immediately.
Anesthesiologists provide individualized care to every patient, carefully assessing the patient’s health prior to the surgery, looking at existing diseases and medical conditions to determine the resources and medical expertise needed, attending to the patient during the entire procedure, resolving unexpected complications that may arise and/or extend the duration of the surgery, and working to ensure that the patient is comfortable during recovery.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is committed to creating a robust Marketplace Open Enrollment process for consumers so they can effortlessly purchase high-quality, affordable health care coverage. CMS reports that nearly 988,000 consumers who do not currently have health care coverage through the individual market Marketplace have signed up for plan year 2025 coverage.
It was in early 2021 that Congressional Democrats passed & President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which among other things dramatically expanded & enhanced the original premium subsidy formula of the Affordable Care Act, finally bringing the financial aid sliding income scale up to the level it should have been in the first place over a decade earlier.
In addition to beefing up the subsidies along the entire 100 - 400% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) income scale, the ARPA also eliminated the much-maligned "Subsidy Cliff" at 400% FPL, wherein a household earning even $1 more than that had all premium subsidies cut off immediately, requiring middle-class families to pay full price for individual market health insurance policies.
Here's what the original ACA premium subsidy formula looked like compared to the current, enhanced subsidy formula:
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.
It was in early 2021 that Congressional Democrats passed & President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which among other things dramatically expanded & enhanced the original premium subsidy formula of the Affordable Care Act, finally bringing the financial aid sliding income scale up to the level it should have been in the first place over a decade earlier.
In addition to beefing up the subsidies along the entire 100 - 400% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) income scale, the ARPA also eliminated the much-maligned "Subsidy Cliff" at 400% FPL, wherein a household earning even $1 more than that had all premium subsidies cut off immediately, requiring middle-class families to pay full price for individual market health insurance policies.
Here's what the original ACA premium subsidy formula looked like compared to the current, enhanced subsidy formula:
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 2025. “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, 2025 is December 15, 2024. Consumers who select a plan between December 16, 2024 and January 15, 2025 will have coverage beginning February 1, 2025.
