Over 2.5 million people have enrolled for coverage through HealthCare.gov and state marketplaces since the start of a special enrollment period that began in February, according to federal data.
CMS reports that more than 1.8 million people purchased insurance through Healthcare.gov, while 723,000 used a state-based marketplace platform. The special enrollment period ends on Aug. 15.
Additionally, CMS reports that a record high of nearly 81.7 million people are now covered under Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program as of March 2021. That’s an over 650,000 person increase from early February 2021.
The American Rescue Plan provided tax credits that dropped out of pocket costs on median plan deductibles by nearly 90%, according to CMS.
Nearly 30% of returning consumers saw costs per month of newly selected plans at $10 or less.
In the group of new consumerss, 45% enrolled since April 1 selected monthly plans for $10 or less.
The majority of consumers signing up for new plans continue to be Caucasian, with Asian and African Americans comprising a minority percentage of new enrollees, per the data.