THURSDAY, Jan. 11, 2024 (HealthDay News) — With only days left before open enrollment closes, the Biden administration announced Wednesday that 20 million Americans have already signed up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.
“Today, we hit a major milestone in lowering costs and ensuring all Americans have access to quality, affordable health care. With six days left to still get covered, 8 million more Americans have signed up for ACA coverage than when I took office,” President Joe Biden said in a news release. “The Affordable Care Act is more popular than ever, and Affordable Care Act coverage is more affordable than ever. Thanks to efforts by my Administration, millions of Americans are saving hundreds or thousands of dollars each year on health insurance premiums, and most people who shop for coverage at HealthCare.gov can find a plan for $10 a month or less.”
The latest enrollment figures mean a quarter more Americans have signed up for coverage this year compared with last year, when a record-breaking 16.3 million Americans enrolled in the program.
After Biden took office, Democrats rolled out a series of tax breaks that gave millions of Americans access to low-cost plans, some with no premiums, the Associated Press reported. The administration has also spent millions hiring so-called navigators who help people enroll.
But the increased enrollment figures could also include some of the roughly 14.5 million Americans who have recently been removed from Medicaid rolls after the federal government lifted a pandemic ban that barred states from removing ineligible people from the government-sponsored health insurance.
States began removing millions from Medicaid last year, a troubled process that has left thousands of children and pregnant women without health insurance coverage in some states, the AP reported. Although open enrollment for health insurance plans bought under the Affordable Care Act ends on Jan. 16, people who have been removed from Medicaid may be eligible to enroll through the end of July.
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