The deadline is approaching to sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act in Delaware. State insurance officials say the number of people signing up is consistent with recent years.
About 24,000 Delawareans relied on the ACA heading into the pandemic and that number went up over the summer during special enrollment periods as many lost coverage when they lost their jobs.
Delaware Insurance Commissioner Trinidad Navarro says as of Dec. 5th, the state had seen 10,363 people sign-up since the start of open enrollment.
“There is an uptick based on this time last year vs. this time this year,” said Navarro. “So while the number seems low, we think they’re really going to jump this next week.”
Delaware saw a 1 percent decrease in premiums in its Health Insurance Marketplace this year.
That comes on the heels of a 19 percent decrease last year in part as the result of the state obtaining a federal reinsurance waiver. That was the first ever price drop in Delaware since the ACA was put into law and led to a more than 6 percent spike in enrollment.
Delaware also saw its first ever rebates this year – with more than $21.5 million given back to people on the market place from the First State’s lone insurance provider on the exchange, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware.
Navarro says his agency is still working to get the word out, despite cuts to advertisement funding.
“We’ve worked to promote open enrollment with DHSS, and they too have promoted open enrollment with some digital promotions and things of that nature. We did a radio commercial that we know has been really successful over the years.”
Open enrollment for coverage this year ends next Tuesday December 15th.
The fate of the Affordable Care Act is still being decided in the courts.
This story has been updated to offer more recent enrollment data.
