A record 13.6 million people have signed up for coverage on the Affordable Care Act's exchanges, and there's still nearly a month of open enrollment to go, according to new data from the Biden administration.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said Wednesday that 9.7 million of those sign-ups were through the federal exchange HealthCare.gov. That figure is 900,000 people ahead of Healthcare.gov's previous record of 8.8 million, set in 2018.
The vast majority (92%) of people who have signed up through Healthcare.gov will receive premium tax credits for their 2022 plans. Such subsidies were expanded under President Biden through the American Rescue Plan.
CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure said on a call with reporters Wednesday morning that demand is especially high in states that did not expand Medicaid, where enrollment on the exchanges is up 24% year over year.
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She said administration officials are pleased to "see the programs working as they are intended" as enrollment swells.
“The historic 13.6 million people who have enrolled in a health insurance plan so far this period shows that the demand and need for affordable health care remains high,” said Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra in a statement.
Between the special enrollment period launched earlier this year under the pandemic and the ongoing open enrollment window, 4.6 million people nationwide have newly gained coverage on the exchanges. This includes 3.7 million sign-ups on Healthcare.gov and 950,000 through state-based exchanges during the SEP.
Open enrollment for the ACA's exchanges concludes on Jan. 15.