Dive Brief:
- Compared to last year, ACA health plan sign-ups through HealthCare.gov were higher during the opening week of enrollment by nearly 20%.
- An estimated 553,000 consumers selected plans through HealthCare.gov from Nov. 1 through Nov. 7, HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell announced in a blog post last week. That does not include the additional consumers who enrolled in plans through their state-based marketplaces.
- The proportion of plan renewals was up, while the proportion of new customers was down. New customers represented about one-third of enrollees this year's opening week, compared to nearly half last year, The Washington Post reports.
Dive Insight:
The lower proportion of new customers was expected, as federal officials continue to address the difficulty of attracting the remaining uninsured.
HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell has previously stated an estimated 10.5 million people remain uninsured and eligible for ACA coverage, and one in four of those people are expected to sign during this enrollment season, which runs through January.
The Post notes marketing efforts appear to be having little effect on the Hispanic population, which is underrepresented in ACA sign-ups. Usage of the Spanish version of HealthCare.gov during the first week was one-third less than it was last year, and contacts to Spanish-speaking representatives at federal call centers was down by half.