THURSDAY, January 11, 2024 — The Biden administration said Wednesday that 20 million Americans have already signed up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, with just a few days left until the deadline.
“Today, we reached a major goal in lowering costs and making sure that all Americans can get good health care at a price they can afford.” There are still six days to sign up for coverage, but eight million more Americans have signed up for ACA coverage since I took office, President Joe Biden said in a news release. “The cheap Care Act is more well-known and more cheap than ever. Millions of Americans save hundreds or thousands of dollars a year on their health insurance bills thanks to work my administration does. Most people who shop for coverage at HealthCare.gov can find a plan for $10 a month or less.
According to the most recent registration numbers, 25% more Americans have signed up for coverage this year than last year, when 16.3 million Americans set a new record for enrollment.
Associated Press reported that after Biden took office, Democrats rolled out a set of tax breaks that let millions of Americans get low-cost plans, some with no fees. Also, the government has spent a lot of money hiring “navigators” to help people sign up.
But the higher enrollment numbers could also include some of the 14.5 million Americans who were recently taken off of Medicaid after the federal government lifted a ban that stopped states from taking people off of the government-funded health insurance because they were not qualified.
The AP reported that states started taking millions of people off of Medicaid last year. This has been a difficult process that has left thousands of children and pregnant women without health insurance in some states. People who have been kicked off of Medicaid may be able to sign up for health insurance plans through the end of July, even though open enrollment for plans bought under the Affordable Care Act ends on January 16.
Disclaimer: Statistical information in medical pieces only shows broad trends and does not apply to specific people. Different things can make a big difference. When making decisions about your own health care, you should always get personalised medical advice.