The Trump administration announced Friday that 8.2 million people signed up for ObamaCare plans for next year on the federally-run marketplace, holding roughly steady from last year’s total.
The total is close to last year’s 8.3 million, the administration said, despite the fact that New Jersey and Pennsylvania’s signups are now no longer included in the total because they have switched to running their own state-based marketplaces.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma said that when those two states are excluded, signups increased over last year — a sign of the health law’s continuing resilience in the face of attacks and efforts at repeal.
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“Enrollment held roughy steady this year,” Larry Levitt, a health policy expert at the Kaiser Family Foundation, wrote in an email. “That’s good news when you consider the Trump administration has slashed outreach and did very little to promote the [Affordable Care Act]. It’s bad news in the middle of a pandemic with heightened health risks and an economic crisis when millions have lost their jobs.”
The Trump administration has taken an approach of touting its management of the law while at the same time seeking to repeal it. The administration is currently backing a Supreme Court lawsuit to overturn the Affordable Care Act.
CMS said in a press release that the data “indicates enrollment continues to remain stable.”
The ObamaCare market has stabilized since the bumpy early years as insurers have adapted to the law.
Average benchmark premiums have declined 8 percent since 2018, CMS said and the number of counties with only one insurer offering coverage dropped to 10 percent, from 56 percent in 2018.
“Annual enrollment data shows that the Trump Administration’s focus on delivering more choices along with a smooth and streamlined consumer experience continues to drive strong enrollment,” Verma said in a statement.
Democrats have in the past accused President Trump
Donald TrumpJill Biden: Doctorate is one of the things I’m ‘most proud of’ Azar tells Health Department staff his wife has COVID-19: ‘Mild symptoms but otherwise doing well’ Michigan reinstates pandemic-related moratorium on water shutoffs MORE of “sabotaging” the law, pointing to actions like slashing the funding available for outreach to encourage people to sign up.
President-elect Joe Biden
Joe BidenLos Angeles mayor announces he won’t be joining Biden administration Jill Biden: Doctorate is one of the things I’m ‘most proud of’ READ: Deb Haaland’s official statement on historic nomination to Interior secretary MORE has promised to make a more active effort to promote and expand the law.
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