ANALYSIS ON 2018 OPEN ENROLLMENT: Drop in Open Enrollment is Deeply Concerning

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), 8.5 million chose a health care plan through the marketplace during 2018 open enrollment. That equates to a drop of approximately 385,000 people, or four percent, from 2017.

Though the decrease is smaller than we anticipated it would be, the facts are that 385,000 people across America likely have no health insurance. Especially telling is the significant 15 percent plummet in new enrollees — these are people who most need targeted outreach about how the marketplace works, and what their options are for marketplace coverage. Because one of the Trump administration’s five #sabotagehealthcare tactics has been to slash dollars for education about the marketplace to potential enrollees, fewer and fewer understand that, in some cases, they can get covered for as little as $50 a month.

An even more egregious #sabotagehealthcare game the Trump administration is playing is to offer short-term plans, also known as “junk plans,” that, for individuals who are chronically ill or who face a severe medical emergencies, don’t even pay. That’s why they are labeled as “junk,” because they only benefit young, exceptionally-healthy people.

Our Eliot Fishman offers an in-depth analysis of 2018 open enrollment numbers, and the other #sabotagehealthcare tricks the Trump administration is playing. Read it here.