Obamacare enrollments in Delaware are outpacing last year even with higher premiums and threats to repeal the health care law.
26,825 Delawareans signed up for coverage under the Affordable Care Act between the start of open enrollment on November 1 and December 24.
That’s about 450 more people than the same period last year.
Aviva Aron-Dine, of the US Department of Health and Human Services, says rising signups in most states is a clear indication that Obamacare isn’t in a death spiral, as critics have claimed.
“A death spiral is defined as a market that is rapidly shrinking. That’s what the term refers to: rapidly shrinking enrollment, which leads to a worsening risk pool, which leads to further steep enrollment drops,” she said.
Another report released Tuesday, by the Council of Economic Advisers, says the increase in premiums this year were a one-time adjustment to make up for underpriced plans in previous years.
That report concludes that the Obamacare Marketplace is poised for growth without political interference.
The deadline for enrollment in a 2017 Obamacare Marketplace plan is January 31.
