14.5 million Americans gained health coverage during open enrollment

A record breaking 14.5 million American gained health insurance in the recent Marketplace open enrollment period (OEP).

According to a news release, the OEP running from Nov. 1, 2021, to Jan. 15, 2022, also saw 5.8 million newly gaining coverage. After the American Rescue Plan saw healthcare costs for Marketplace consumers, patients with insurance through HealthCare.gov saw their average monthly premium fall by 23 percent compared to the 2021 OEP.

“The numbers say it all: We are delivering on our commitment to make health care a right for Americans and to ensure it is accessible and affordable,” Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra says in the release. “We are proud to have completed the Biden-Harris Administration’s inaugural Open Enrollment with a record-breaking 14.5 million Americans who now have high-quality, low-cost health coverage, thanks to President Biden’s American Rescue Plan and our unprecedented outreach efforts. We will continue to deliver for the American people and work to ensure no one is left behind in getting access to the care they deserve.”

Of the 14.5 million who enrolled during the OEP, 10.3 million live in the 33 states that use HealthCare.gov and 4.2 million live in the 17 states and the District of Columbia that have state-based marketplaces using their own platforms, the release says.

To date three million new patient who were uninsured gained coverage across the country, a 17 percent increase over what was seen at the end of the 2021 OEP. A further 32 percent of HealthCare.gov consumers (3.2 million) enrolled in plan for $10 or less after additional American Rescue Plan subsidies, according to the release.

“We are proud that this Open Enrollment Period and President Biden’s American Rescue Plan enabled a historic 14.5 million people to sign up for quality and affordable health care coverage,” Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, says in the release. “Investing in financial assistance and outreach allows more people to have access to the care that they need.”