ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
Picking the correct healthcare plan is extremely important and recently, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced more than 24 million people have done just that.
“The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is committed to a robust Marketplace Open Enrollment process for consumers so they can effortlessly purchase quality, affordable health care coverage, and CMS reports 24.2 million consumers selected plan year 2025 coverage through the Marketplaces during the 2025 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period, including 3.9 million new consumers,” former HHS Secretary Xavier Bercerra noted in a release from HHS. “That represents more than double the number of enrollees compared to the 2021 Open Enrollment Period. I’m proud of the work done over the past four years to help more people access quality, affordable health care and bring down the uninsured rate. Since the law was enacted, 50 million people – or one in seven Americans – have signed up for coverage through the Marketplace. Now, Congress must do its job so those millions of Americans remain covered. The tax credit that has helped people purchase coverage will expire at the end of 2025 unless Congress makes it permanent or extends it. Congressional inaction would result in costs going up. More than five million people could lose their coverage entirely, and millions of other hard-working Americans could face premium increases of more than 50%. The Affordable Care Act belongs to the American people. Let’s keep it that way.”
“The record-breaking success of this year’s Marketplace Open Enrollment speaks volumes about the Affordable Care Act’s past, present, and future serving the American people by connecting our communities to high-quality, person-centered, affordable health care coverage. That priority can and should continue to generate broad, bipartisan support,” CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure noted in the HHS release. “This record-breaking enrollment is also a testament to the importance of the enhanced financial assistance available through 2025. This additional help has made all the difference for people seeking affordable insurance. For example, a young professional just starting out making $30,000 a year would have previously been expected to contribute around $165 per month but can now pay no more than $50 per month, with even cheaper plans available. Just a little extra help can mean less financial stress for millions of enrollees across the country.”
Consumers had greater plan choices for 2025, as well as other important supports. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, for example, means many middle-income people and families who were previously ineligible for financial assistance have access to lower premiums after tax credits, and many modest-income Americans now have more help paying for premiums, the HHS release noted
“Because of the enhanced and expanded tax credits, four out of five HealthCare.gov consumers could find a plan for $10 or less per month. The enhanced tax credits remain available through 2025 but are set to expire in 2026 without Congressional action,” the HHS release noted.
Marketplace Open Enrollment on HealthCare.gov ran through Jan. 15. Consumers who enrolled by midnight local time on Jan. 15 got coverage that will start Feb. 1. State-based Marketplace enrollment deadlines vary.
