This [enrollment] number is higher than anyone expected, and has to be considered a success.
Affordable Care Act enrollment is down, but not by much, and a special enrollment period for people affected by hurricanes means last-minute signups could trickle in from states such as Georgia and Alabama, which now have a Dec. 31 deadline.
Most of the country’s chance, including Tennessee’s, to obtain Affordable Care Act health insurance ended on Dec. 15. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, commonly called CMS, released a report last week that summarized HealthCare.gov activity through the final stretch.
The report found that about 8.8 million people nationally selected plans or were automatically re-enrolled through the federal marketplace, down from 9.2 million people last year. Nearly 230,500 Tennesseans have signed up for coverage starting in 2018, which is about 3,500 less people than in 2017.
People in Georgia and Alabama still have until the end of the month to enroll, but the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported that the deadline extension was poorly publicized and many, including insurance brokers, were unaware of the provision. Those wishing to take advantage of the special enrollment period must sign up over the phone, not online, by calling 1-800-318-2596.