HHS Announces 13.8 Million Americans with Health Care Coverage Ahead of Jan 15th Open Enrollment Deadline

Thanks to the savings secured through the Biden-Harris Administration’s American Rescue Plan, more than 13.8 million consumers have signed up for 2022 health care coverage that started January 1, 2022, through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Health Insurance Marketplaces, on

HealthCare.gov and State-based Marketplaces (SBMs). This year’s Open Enrollment Period, which started on November 1, 2021, and ends on January 15, 2022, continues to outpace previous years’ enrollment, including a 21% increase in plan selections through December 15,

2021, compared to the last year’s Open Enrollment in the 33 states using the HealthCare.gov platform. This increased enrollment builds on the success of Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to make health care accessible, with 4.6 million new enrollees who gained health care coverage in 2021 through the ACA Health Insurance Marketplaces.

“President Biden promised to build on the Affordable Care Act and bring down the cost of health care, and these record numbers are proof that we delivered,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. “Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, more Americans across the

country are gaining affordable health coverage than ever before, especially when we most need it during this pandemic. We will continue to reach out and get people covered until the very last minute of the January 15th final deadline.”

Consumers still have time to enroll. The Biden-Harris Administration extended this year’s HealthCare.gov Open Enrollment Period until January 15, 2022, for coverage starting on February 1, 2022, to give an extra month to sign up for affordable and comprehensive coverage. Consumers can enroll by visiting HealthCare.gov and CuidadoDeSalud.gov or calling 1-800-318-2596 to fill out an application. To find local help consumers should go to https://localhelp.healthcare.gov/#/. Consumers in states with SBMs should visit their Marketplace for additional information on coverage deadlines.

“As we ring in the New Year, we see that this Open Enrollment Period continues to be like no other, with a record-setting number of people gaining health insurance through federal and state Marketplaces. For 13.8 million people, quality, affordable health insurance coverage is now a reality,” said Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita BrooksLaSure. “The American Rescue Plan helped lower health care premiums, resulting in record setting savings for millions of people across the country. For those who need affordable health care coverage, there is still time to enroll. If you enroll in a plan at HealthCare.gov by January 15, your coverage can start on February 1.”

The latest 2022 Open Enrollment Period National Snapshot shows that more than 13.8 million people have signed up for 2022 health coverage since the start of Open Enrollment Period on November 1, 2021. This includes over 9.7 million people enrolled in or being automatically reenrolled in Marketplace coverage in the 33 states with Marketplaces using HealthCare.gov for 2022 through December 15, 2021. The 18 SBMs that use their own platforms reported to CMS that through December 25, 2021, more than 4 million people selected plans or were automatically re-enrolled in a plan for 2022 health coverage, which is an increase of 240,000 consumers since the last published report.

The strong enrollment numbers are the result of the Biden-Harris Administration’s robust outreach efforts, including additional funding and the quadrupling of the number of Navigators who are available to assist consumers. As the January deadline approaches, there are 59

Navigator grantee organizations, with over 1,500 certified Navigators ready to help consumers enroll. Navigators have held outreach and education events, focusing on meeting consumers in their communities at places they already are—such as local libraries, vaccination clinics, food drives, county fairs, and job fairs.

Consumers in states with a SBM can find information about available plans and prices, how to obtain in-person or virtual help, and news on local events by visiting or calling their state’s Marketplace. Most SBMs have Open Enrollment periods until mid- to late- January. See the State-based Marketplace Open Enrollment Fact Sheet.

To view the Marketplace 2022 Open Enrollment Period National Snapshot; visit: https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/marketplace-2022-open-enrollment-period-report-december-national-snapshot