Last week, the Biden Administration announced that a record 14.5 million Americans enrolled in private health insurance plans through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) since November 1st. The ACA is designed to provide affordable health insurance to Americans who are not covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or employer-based plans by expanding Medicaid and offering consumers a selection of subsidized private plans. Among these 14.5 million enrollees were 303,550 Michiganders, an increase of nearly 14% from the state’s 2020 open enrollment figures.
This record-breaking enrollment total reflects the Biden Administration’s concerted efforts to bolster the ACA as a key component of its pandemic response plan. Last year’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package provided increased funding for ACA subsidies to ensure affordable health coverage remained accessible to uninsured Americans amid the uncertainty of the pandemic. This expansion lowered marketplace premiums and deductibles while opening availability of tax credit subsidies to those with higher incomes. In addition to increased subsidies, the White House continued to promote enrollment with a special extended sign-up period along with expanded advertising and outreach.
While these measures have helped reduce the national uninsured rate from 10.3% in 2020 to 8.9% in September 2021, provisions from the COVID-19 relief bill will only last until the end of 2022. Before the end of the year, Congress must decide whether to continue this increased level of ACA funding or let it expire. Several democratic representatives remain optimistic this progress is sustainable, but this continued level of funding will likely require unanimous support within the party to squeeze through an evenly divided Senate.
