Dive Brief:
- The first two weeks of open enrollment for the HealthCare.gov platform resulted in more than a million plan selections, with more than 750,000 returning consumers and about 250,000 new consumers, the CMS announced in its biweekly enrollment snapshot.
- From November 1-12, there were 53,000 more plan selections than during the first 12 days of open enrollment last year, indicating higher interest early this enrollment period.
- Enrollment saw an acceleration on November 9th, the agency noted, in which more than 300,000 people selected plans between the 9th and 11th.
Dive Insight:
That enrollment surge on November 9 coincided with additional federal outreach but it was also the day after the presidential election, when the nation learned that Donald Trump (R) had clinched the win and could pursue his election promise to repeal Obamacare and the ACA.
It's unclear how that may have factored in to the stats, or how it may continue to factor into enrollment as the development continues through Trump's January 20 inauguration. The question of what Trump and the GOP will do to change the health law is more unclear than ever, with Trump having stated since his win that he likes some provisions of the law.
With everything up in the air, the strong showing of consumer support for Obamacare – even despite this cycle's concerns around premium increases, insurer departures, and now the real possibility of repeal – could possibly factor into the new administration's plans. It could arguably be harder to scrap the HealthCare.gov system if it proves more popular than ever and a clear demand exists.
HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell, who pleaded on the ACA's behalf earlier this week, used the enrollment update to continue to rally consumers and make a point about their support. “The American people are demonstrating how much they continue to want and need the coverage the Marketplace offers, and we are encouraging all Americans who need health insurance for 2017 to visit HealthCare.gov or their state Marketplace and check out their options," she stated.
If the enrollment surge remains sustained, it could also have implications for participating marketplace insurers, noted Forbes. Strong enrollment could potentially improve risk pools and make participation more attractive again to more companies, which could become another factor to be weighed by the new administration.