More people sign up for Obamacare despite its uncertain fate

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The pace is somewhat ahead of the first days of last year, but does not show a huge surge in interest amid the coronavirus pandemic and economic downturn. Registrations are also taking place as the Supreme Court considers whether to strike down the ten-year-old law. Judges heard oral arguments in the case on Tuesday, but appeared to signal that the affordable care law will survive the GOP’s latest challenge.

A coalition of Texas-led Republican attorneys general joined by the Trump administration argue that the individual mandate is unconstitutional because Congress reduced the penalty to zero for not having health insurance as part of the cuts. Republican taxes of 2017 – and that the entire law must fall accordingly.

That hasn’t deterred some Americans looking for cover. On average, 116,900 people chose plans on the Federal Exchange each day during the first seven days of enrollment this year, compared to an average of 103,600 who chose policies daily during the first nine days of enrollment. last year.

This year’s data doesn’t include New Jersey and Pennsylvania, which have their own enrollment platforms in place for 2021. Some 36 states use the federal exchange, healthcare.gov.

The rate of new customers signing up is slightly keeping pace with last year, but a greater proportion of existing customers have chosen to renew coverage. Those who lost employment-based coverage could purchase Obamacare policies during the year.

According to a report by the Urban Institute released on Monday, some 3.1 million people lost from occupational health insurance plans between late March / early April and mid-September. Many of them have switched to Medicaid or individual market policies, such as those found on the Obamacare exchanges.

Open registration runs until December 15 on the Federal Exchange; several states that manage their own markets have later deadlines.

“It’s too early, especially in such an extraordinary year, to draw any meaningful conclusions about how the rest of the open registrations will play out, but considering all the unique factors at play this year, it’s a good start to open registrations, “former Obama administration official Joshua Peck said in a message to Medium. Peck is the co-founder of Get America Covered, which seeks to boost enrollment in the Affordable Care Act.

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