The number of people enrolling in Affordable Care Act health insurance plans for 2018 coverage is outpacing last year, according to a government report released Wednesday.
The report provides a snapshot of the number of plans chosen on the Health Insurance Marketplace since the start of open enrollment on Nov. 1 through the end of week four on Nov. 25. At this time last year, about 2.1 million plans had been selected through the marketplace, whereas nearly 2.8 million consumers – a more than 30 percent increase – have signed up for coverage so far this season.
This enrollment activity comes despite higher premiums, a 90 percent decrease in advertising funds, less money for navigators who provide enrollment assistance, and a heated political debate over whether or not the ACA, often called Obamacare, should still exist.
Katherlyn Geter, lead certified navigator for the Southeast Tennessee Region, has helped people sign up for ACA insurance since the law was enacted five years ago. She said she believes the numbers reflect a continued need for health insurance and are a result of local and grassroot efforts that went into promoting the program.
“People in communities, in their own personal circles, are talking and sharing their stories. I also think it has a lot to do with the partnerships that myself as a navigator and the many [other] assisters have built,” she said. “Health care is such a huge topic for most people, and access to needed care and services is equally a great concern.”