President Biden announces nearly 24 million consumers have signed up for Affordable Care Act Marketplace coverage, nearly doubling enrollment during the last 4 years
President Biden and Vice President Harris believe that health care is a right, not a privilege. Since day one of their Administration, they have taken steps to ensure that every American has access to affordable, quality health care. And, as a result of these efforts, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing that it has set another all-time record for ACA Marketplace enrollment, with nearly 24 million Americans signing up for coverage with one week left in the 2025 Open Enrollment Period. A total of 45 million Americans have coverage through the ACA - either the Marketplace or Medicaid expansion - and more people have health insurance today than ever in our nation's history.
Statement from the President: "Today, we have once again set a record when it comes to ensuring access to affordable, quality health care: nearly 24 million Americans have signed up for Affordable Care Act coverage. That means that enrollment has nearly doubled since I took office. That's no coincidence. When I took office, I made a promise to the American people that I would bring down the cost of health care and prescription drugs, make signing up for coverage easier, and strengthen the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, and Medicaid. I'm proud that my Administration delivered - even as Republican elected officials, who have been eager to put millions of Americans' coverage at risk, stood in the way. I urge Congress to double down on the progress we have made and ensure Americans have access to quality, affordable health care by extending the ACA premium tax credit this year."
Today's announcement builds upon a remarkable record of success over the last four years. More Americans have health insurance than ever before, with the uninsured rate at record lows. In fact, in every year of the Biden-Harris Administration, we have set a new all-time record for ACA Marketplace enrollment.
This record-breaking enrollment is no accident, and due to this Administration's efforts to lower health care costs and make it easier to sign up for coverage. We also made health care more affordable for Americans purchasing their health insurance on the ACA Marketplace, saving consumers an average of $800 annually on their premiums. For example, this Administration made the largest ever investment in outreach and enrollment assistance, especially those in rural or underserved communities while at the same time eliminating bureaucratic red tape that makes it harder for people to enroll in coverage.
But all of these efforts to lower health care costs and expand coverage are now in danger. If Republicans in Congress take away the enhanced premium tax credits that make ACA coverage more affordable, premiums will skyrocket and people will lose coverage. For many families the results will be catastrophic:
- A single parent earing $50,00 per year could see their premiums increase by $1600 per year.
- A retired couple earning $85,000 per year could see their premiums increase by $18,000 per year.
- Experts estimate that 3 to 5 million people would become uninsured.
The Affordable Care Act Marketplaces are just one part of this Administration's commitment to health care coverage. Today, Medicaid covers about 80 million people. Thanks to the President's leadership, over one million Americans in four states now have Medicaid expansion coverage, driving total ACA-related enrollment to over 45 million. This Administration has also cut red tape to make applying for and renewing Medicaid coverage easier, and established new standards to ensure people have access to the care they need when they need it.
In addition to today's record-breaking enrollment numbers, we are also releasing a report and a data chart pack detailing the Biden-Harris Administration's historic progress to improve the health of millions of Americans- from making health care and prescription drugs more affordable, to tackling crises in mental health, maternal health, and more, and investing in public health infrastructure. Some highlights include:
- In its first year alone, President Biden's Medicare Drug Price Negotiation program outperformed expectations, achieving negotiated prices that are 38 to 79 percent lower than U.S. list prices for the ten first round negotiated drugs. These prices are $6 billion per year lower than what Medicare pays today and, once in effect, will put $1.5 billion dollars back into the pockets of Medicare beneficiaries. Seniors with Medicare are protected by the new $2,000 cap on out-of-pocket costs, and insulin is capped at just $35 per month.
- The Administration ended the "family glitch," making millions of family members finally eligible for affordable ACA Marketplace coverage with about one million people projected to either gain coverage or have lower premiums.
- The 988 lifeline, created under this Administration, has answered more than 11 million calls, chats, and texts and made it easier for individuals experiencing distress to access immediate care.
- Following the Administration's efforts to reduce overdose deaths, recent data shows a 17% reduction in overdose deaths in the 12 months ending July 2024 compared to the prior year-the largest decline in U.S. history.
- After the release of a comprehensive strategy to improve maternal health, 46 states and DC extended Medicaid postpartum coverage from two to twelve months for hundreds of thousands of new mothers.
- Following the launch of a comprehensive national strategy to end the HIV epidemic by the end of the decade, rates of new HIV infections are also down.
Read the Biden-Harris Administration's full report on progress made to lower health care costs and strengthen coverage for the American people.
