A record number of people signed up for health insurance through the federal exchange on the day after the election, as White House officials said enrollment would remain a top priority during President Barack Obama's final months in office.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Burwell tweeted that more than 100,000 consumers signed up for health coverage on Healthcare.gov on Wednesday, the highest single-day figure since the start of open enrollment on Nov. 1.
Best day yet this Open Enrollment. Nov 9: Over 100K plan selections on https://t.co/VvaQqwzQu6. Consumers shopping & enrolling. #GetCovered
— Sylvia Burwell (@SecBurwell) November 10, 2016
“We are all in for this open enrollment, and we continue to execute a robust outreach strategy with partners across the nation to let Americans know affordable coverage is available" and that they should enroll by Dec. 15 for coverage that starts Jan. 1, HHS Press Secretary Marjorie Connolly said in an emailed statement. “We’re encouraging anyone who might need coverage for 2017 to visit Healthcare.gov to check out their options--most can find a plan for $75 or less per month.”
In a news briefing, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the White House is “maximizing the opportunity that is currently available” for Americans to enroll in health plans and urged consumers not to worry about what will happen to the exchanges in the future, according to Reuters. He added that Wednesday’s numbers were representative of the “intense demand” for health plans, according to USA Today.
Under a Donald Trump presidency, Republicans are expected make repealing the Affordable Care Act a top priority, although experts say that could be a complex process and potentially costly for insurers.
Enroll America, a national coalition aimed at maximizing insurance coverage for Americans, noted that although there may be angst among the 12 million Americans that are currently enrolled in a federal health exchange plan, coverage is still available for the time being.
“Right now, it is critically important to reassure consumers that nothing has changed,” Anne Filipic, president of Enroll America, said in a statement.
During the first four days of open enrollment, HHS reported more than 500,000 applications had been submitted through Healthcare.gov, and the site had to place visitors in “waiting rooms” to manage the high volume of traffic. The Obama administration expects exchange plan enrollment to increase 9 percent to 13.8 million by the end of the open enrollment period, and the president has emphasized the need to recruit younger, healthier beneficiaries to shop on the exchanges.