With the deadline for Affordable Care Act signups fast approaching, federal officials wrote off any notions that the signups are slowing down. On the contrary, authorities expect the numbers to surge in the days to come before Jan. 31—the last day for signups.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) acting administrator Andy Slavitt pointed out that the previous December signup period saw strong enrollment –particularly in 14 states such as North and South Dakota, Louisiana, and Tennessee, where signup numbers were 20% higher than they were last year for the same period.
Slavitt also noted that on Thursday numbers were 50% higher than a week ago, suggesting that interest is increasing as the deadline nears.
Over 8.9 million consumers had signed up or had their coverage renewed through Healthcare.gov, according to a statement released by CMS Jan. 27. According to Slavitt, a number of southern cities saw large enrollment surges. Houston, in particular, made up for 3.2% of all plan selections in 2015; this year, the city is accounting for 4%, which is a 27% increase from last year’s figures.
