The second year of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) open enrollment is underway. Since the Marketplaces opened for enrollment on November 15th, it's been relatively smooth. This is a big change from the rocky roll out of the Marketplaces last year. So, what's been happening with the ACA open enrollment this year? Here is an update on open enrollment, three weeks in.
1.3 Million Consumers Selected a Health Plan
According to the administration's report, during the first three weeks of open enrollment (November 15 - December 5):
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More than 1.3 million consumers have selected plans
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48% who selected a plan are new consumers; 52% are renewing coverage
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More than 2.5 million applications were submitted
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Nearly 8 million users have visited HealthCare.gov
Note: These figures are for the federally-run health Insurance Marketplace, Healthcare.gov. State-based marketplaces that have released data are reporting similar activity.
Deadline Approaching for January 1 Coverage
Although open enrollment last through February 15, 2015, consumers who would like coverage to begin on January 1st must apply by December 15th.
As the December 15 deadline nears, interest and activity on HealthCare.gov has increased, according to the administration. For example, plan selections in the third week of open enrollment were 33 percent higher than the first week, and double the number of plan selections during the week of Thanksgiving.
Open Enrollment Resources
Here are a few open enrollment resources for consumers, employers, and brokers:
- What Small Business Owners Need to Know About Open Enrollment 2015
Questions about the status of open enrollment and the marketplaces? Leave a comment and we'll help answer it.
