HealthCare.gov 2017 Signups Surpass Previous Year's Totals In Wisconsin, U.S.
Enrollment Surges Despite Uncertain Future Of Affordable Care Act
Despite rising premiums and an uncertain future for the Affordable Care Act, more people are signing up for insurance on HealthCare.gov. Enrollment is up nearly 14 percent in Wisconsin compared to this time last year, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
So far more than 173,000 people in Wisconsin have signed up for coverage on HealthCare.gov. from Nov. 1 through Dec. 19.
The numbers released Dec. 21 by the department are not final totals, and the number of signups do not include people with health plans that were discontinued – those consumers will be auto-enrolled and included in the final numbers expected to be released in early January.
An additional 400,000 more people have enrolled across the country this year compared to the same time last year, setting an an all time record, said U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell.
"And today’s enrollment numbers confirm that doomsday predictions about the marketplace were wrong," Burwell said.
People have six more weeks to signup for coverage that starts after Jan. 1. Republicans say they plan to repeal the ACA but might keep some popular provisions such as no denial of coverage for pre-existing conditions and allowing young adults to be on their parents plan until age 26.
The Urban Institute estimates thousands of people in Wisconsin would be without insurance, at least temporarily, if the law is repealed with no immediate replacement.
Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2023, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.