American Rescue Plan Increases ACA Enrollment
HealthAffairs 6/14/21
About twelve million people enrolled in Marketplace coverage for 2021 across all fifty states and the District of Columbia. This was an increase of 5 percent from 2020. For 2021 about 8.3 million consumers enrolled through the thirty-six states that use HealthCare.gov, and about 3.8 million enrolled through the fifteen states that operate their own Marketplaces.
Marketplace enrollment remained lower than its peak of 12.7 million people in 2016. And the percentage of new enrollees—a key indicator of a stable risk pool—continued to decline. New enrollees have fallen from 39 percent of all enrollees for 2016 to 21 percent of all enrollees for 2021.
These trends may reverse soon, given the Biden administration’s broad special enrollment period. Through August 15, anyone who qualifies can newly enroll in coverage or change their plan through HealthCare.gov. Since this enrollment opportunity began February 15, more than one million people have enrolled. Because these data do not reflect enrollment through state-based Marketplaces, overall enrollment nationwide is likely even higher.
