News

Nationwide nearly 11.7 million consumers are enrolled in 2015 Health Insurance Marketplace coverage

More than 4.1 million young people selected a plan or were re-enrolled; nearly 7.7 million people with plan selections in HealthCare.gov states qualify for an average tax credit of $263 per month

Nationwide, nearly 11.7 million consumers selected or were automatically re-enrolled in quality, affordable health insurance coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace as of Feb. 22, according to a report released today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Of those, 8.84 million (76 percent) were in states using the HealthCare.gov platform and 2.85 million (24 percent) were in the 14 states (including Washington, D.C.) using their own Marketplace platforms.  Nearly 7.7 million individuals with a plan selection in the states using HealthCare.gov qualified for an average tax credit of $263 per month and more than half (55 percent) paid $100 or less per month after tax credits.

According to today’s report, nationwide, more than 4.1 million consumers under the age of 35 are signed up for Marketplace coverage (35 percent of all plan selections compared to 34 percent of plan selections at the end of 2014 Open Enrollment). Almost 3.3 million consumers 18 to 34 years of age are signed up for Marketplace coverage.  As in 2014, that’s 28 percent of all plan selections.

“The figures released today tell a story of health coverage consumers rely on for financial and health security – and of coverage they don’t want to lose,” said Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell. “Millions of Marketplace consumers in HealthCare.gov states qualified for tax credits to make their coverage affordable and accessible.  People who come to the Marketplace for coverage are actively engaged and shopping for the product that’s best for them and their families.  The Affordable Care Act is working and we’re grateful to the volunteers, assisters, navigators, local officials, members of Congress and many national organizations who joined this effort across the country.”

Tax credits made coverage affordable in the 37 states that use HealthCare.gov –

• Of the more than 8.8 million plan selections in HealthCare.gov states, 87 percent (nearly 7.7 million individuals) qualified for an average tax credit of $263 per month.
• More than half selected a plan with a monthly premium of $100 or less after tax credits, about 8 in 10 of these individuals had the option of selecting such a plan.

Marketplace consumers in HealthCare.gov states this year were more active, engaged, and eager for coverage than consumers in other insurance marketplaces -

• More than half (53 percent or more than 4.6 million) of plan selections in HealthCare.gov states are new consumers who did not have Marketplace coverage as of Nov. 2014, and 47 percent (nearly 4.2 million) are consumers who re-enrolled in Marketplace coverage. 
• Of the 4.2 million consumers who were re-enrolled in 2015 Marketplace coverage, more than half (2.2 million), came back to the Marketplace, updated their information and actively selected a plan. 
• Of the 2.2 million active re-enrollees, 1.2 million switched to a different plan from what they had in 2014 – that’s 54 percent of active re-enrollees and 29 percent of all re-enrollees.  This is a much higher proportion than seen in other programs.  For example, studies show that approximately 13 percent of Medicare Part D enrollees change plans in a given year, and only about 7.5 percent of those with employer sponsored coverage switch plans for reasons other than a job change.

Today’s report includes data for individuals who selected or were automatically re-enrolled in coverage through Feb. 21 for 12 states and Washington, D.C. using their own Marketplace platforms and through Feb. 22 for the 37 states using the HealthCare.gov platform (including Oregon and Nevada), as well as California which is a state based Marketplace.

Today’s report does not include information on effectuated enrollment. To have their coverage effectuated, consumers need to pay their first month’s health plan premium.

Today’s report also includes detailed findings at the state-by-state level for the 37 states that use HealthCare.gov, and where reported for the state based Marketplaces.  For example, almost 1.5 million Floridians—93 percent of all plan selections—qualified for an average tax credit of $294. More than a million Texans qualified for an average tax credit of $239. More than 500,000 residents of North Carolina qualified for an average tax credit of $315.

Open Enrollment in the Marketplace ended on Feb. 15.  Consumers should visit HealthCare.gov to see if they qualify for a Special Enrollment Period because of a life change like marriage, having a baby or losing other coverage.  Enrollment in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program is also open year round. 

Beginning March 15, CMS will offer a Special Enrollment Period to consumers in HealthCare.gov states who are subject to the fee for not having health care coverage in 2014, but who were unaware of or did not understand the implications of the new requirement.  Visit HealthCare.gov to learn more.  Find local help at: Localhelp.healthcare.gov/ or call the Federally-facilitated Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596. TTY users should call 1-855- 889-4325. Translation services are available. The call is free. 

To read the monthly enrollment report click here.

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