It’s sign-up season for the Affordable Care Act, but the Trump administration isn’t making it easy — cutting the enrollment period in half, slashing advertising and dialing back on counselors who help consumers get through the process.
Many people already faced fewer choices and higher premiums. But President Donald Trump’s decision to cancel a subsidy to insurers that lowers consumer costs compounded the turmoil, pushing premiums even higher.
Add it all up and the number of uninsured people may start rising again, eroding gains that drove the uninsured rate to a historic low.
“It certainly is a hostile takeover,” said health policy expert Joe Antos of the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute.
“We are going to see a decline in enrollment,” he added. “The people who will drop out in droves are the ones who are not getting a premium subsidy.”
Open enrollment started Wednesday and ends Dec. 15 in most states, including Indiana, a sign-up period six weeks shorter than last year’s.
Some 9 million to 10 million people currently have private plans through the ACA’s government-sponsored markets. More than 8 in 10 receive subsidized premiums and are cushioned from rate increases. Federal help paying premiums is still available despite GOP efforts to repeal the health law.
In states served by the HealthCare.gov website, premiums will go up 37 percent for a hypothetical 27-year-old picking a standard plan called “second-lowest cost silver,” the Health and Human Services department reported Monday.
With insurers exiting the market, about half of counties will only have one participating carrier offering plans. Eight states have only one insurer.
But subsidies for premiums are also going up — by 45 percent on average. That means current customers receiving financial help have a strong incentive to renew.
How many new people will join remains an open question, even if they’re eligible for help with premiums. New enrollees are vital because healthier, younger people are needed to keep rising premiums from destabilizing the marketplaces.
Already this year there was a big drop-off among consumers who buy individual coverage outside the government markets, and aren’t eligible for premium subsidies. Their costs, however, are generally tied to rising “Obamacare” rates. Monthly premiums can be as a high as a mortgage payment in some cases.
Polls show widespread consumer confusion. Some are unsure if the health law has been repealed.
Trump administration officials say they’re aiming for smooth and efficient sign-ups. HealthCare.gov has new features intended to make it more user-friendly, and the call center is fully staffed.
Officials say they cut ads because spending so much money wasn’t warranted, and the scaled-back counseling programs weren’t enrolling many consumers. The programs take issue with that.
Consumers who already have “Obamacare” are worried.
Despite all the problems, there’s an effort around the country to drum up enrollment. Nonprofits that don’t rely on federal grants are ramping up. Some insurers plan to pay for advertising. States running their own insurance markets remain focused on growing enrollment.
In Austin, Texas, a nonprofit that provides support services for the working poor is trying to prove Trump wrong. Foundation Communities has helped more than 22,800 enroll for coverage since 2014.
“We’re hoping to enroll about 5,000 people; of course we have to do that in half the time,” said insurance program director Elizabeth Colvin. “Full steam ahead.”
Indiana exchange overview
Indiana relies on the federally facilitated exchange, so residents enroll through Healthcare.gov. Four carriers offered plans in the Indiana exchange for 2017, but two are leaving at the end of the year.
Open enrollment began Nov. 1 and will end just six weeks later, on Dec. 15. This is much shorter than previous open enrollment periods have been, and it’s the first time that open enrollment will end before the start of the new year. All plans selected during open enrollment will take effect Jan. 1, 2018.
Source: healthinsurance.org
