After considerable growth in recent years, Affordable Care Act enrollment in Delaware decreases for the first time.
According to Delaware’s Department of Insurance, ACA enrollment in Delaware dropped to 44,663, about a 15.6% decrease from last year.
And there’s a chance it can slip further.
A year ago, enrollment further dropped by over 8,000 in February as bills came due and auto enrollment membership reviewed plans and costs.
Delaware’s Insurance Dept. says if that trend continues this year, this year’s enrollment decline could reach around 30%.
The hope is that encouraging consumers to actively engage in the enrollment or renewal process to know costs and options might negate another February decline.
Chris Haas is the Delaware Department of Insurance senior policy advisor.
"This is the first time we've seen a decline in many years. Since the enhanced advanced premium tax credits went into effect, enrollment doubled in Delaware, so that 92% of policyholders that accessed those premium savings really had to take a hard look about their coverage of whether they could afford it in the future," said Haas.
She adds next year’s open enrollment period will be shorter.
While Congress not extending ACA tax credits is one reason given for enrollment decline, Haas says there are also other reasons.
"There have been federal changes on the administrative level including rulemaking that will affect enrollment,” said Haas. “For example, they've eliminated monthly special enrollment periods based on residence income. They have ceased permitting DACA recipients to purchase coverage."
Haas notes consumers are also seeing rate increases which she also attributes to tax credits not being extended.
