2019 Affordable Care Act Enrollment is Down
Affordable Care Act Enrollment Was Down for the 2019 Enrollment Period
On December 15th, the Affordable Care Act Enrollment period ended. Enrollment numbers took a dive over previous years. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reported an Affordable Care Act Enrollment dip of 20 percent in 2018. What caused the dip?
Fewer Marketing Dollars
The Affordable Care Act is still a relatively new program. As such, it requires marketing to encourage enrollment. Signing up for health insurance can be stressful and confusing. Guaranteeing enrollment requires guiding enrollees on where to go, providing an explanation of costs and benefits and keeping the deadline date top of mind.
Last year, the Trump administration shortened the Affordable Care Act enrollment period, changing the deadline from the end of January to December 15th – during the busy holiday time. The Kaiser Family Foundation reported that many health insurance customers where still unaware of the ACA deadline date.
In addition to changing the Affordable Care Act enrollment date, the Trump administration cut the marketing budget for the 2017 program by 90 percent. The budget remained at those levels in 2018. Part of that budget cut were insurance navigators, or employees that helped explain ACA options to potential enrollees.
Mandate Removal
The GOP tax bill repealed Obamacare’s individual mandate. In December 2017, Congress passed the new tax bill which removed the ACA individual mandate. The mandate made health insurance a requirement for American citizens. Those who did not enroll in health insurance coverage could be fined. That fine motivated many previously uninsured citizens to enroll in health insurance.
Removal of the mandate made enrolling in health insurance no longer a requirement and also eliminated the potential fine.
New Low-Cost Health Plans
The Trump Administration launched new low-cost, short term, limited health plans known as “skinny plans.” These healthcare plans were designed for the price conscious health insurance consumer. However, they have been subject to criticism for omitting some of the most basic health coverage, such as prescription drug benefits.
Good Economy
The economy has been in a long period of prosperity with low unemployment numbers. Lower unemployment means more consumers gaining health insurance coverage through their employers, with less needing to shop for insurance on the ACA marketplace.
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