HealthCare.gov saw record-breaking growth in marketplace insurance enrollment this past year. According to recently released government data, Black and Latino enrollee sign-ups were the main contributor to the increase.
According to the new U.S. Census Bureau data, enrollment among Latinos climbed by 53% compared to 2020, Black enrollment increased by 49% during the same time, while enrollment among American Indian and Alaska Native populations increased by 32%. Report from the Department of Health and Human Services.
The report stated that because these groups have typically lacked insurance, they were singled out for outreach initiatives and tax benefits.
“In 2021 and 2022, the American Rescue Plan (ARP) offered expanded and improved premium tax credits, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) significantly increased financing for Marketplace outreach and education. According to the research, these policies were created to increase coverage, including among groups with historically higher rates of uninsured people, such Black and Latino customers. These findings imply that between 2020 and 2022, the number of Black, Latino, and American Indian/Alaska Native users enrolled in the Marketplace increased significantly as a result of outreach activities and the ARP’s higher affordability of coverage.
Political debate has focused on how to pay for Affordable Care Act marketplace outreach. Assessing the “possible effects of the Biden-Harris Administration’s policies meant to increase equal coverage rates” was one of the goals, according to the paper.
The Marketplace coverage open enrollment season officially starts. Nov. 1.
According to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 12.5 million people had Marketplace coverage that was subsidised in 2022, while 1.3 million more had unsubsidized coverage.
