Record-breaking number sign up for health plans during Open Enrollment Period

February 2, 2023

Record-breaking number sign up for health plans during Open Enrollment Period

MOBILE, Ala. — More than 16.3 million people have selected an Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace health plan nationwide during the 2023 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period (OEP) that ran from November 1, 2022, through January 15, 2023, for most Marketplaces. This marks the most ever to sign up in an OEP.

The Mobile County Health Department and Family Health, its primary care division, had Certified Application Counselors ready to assist. The counselors, who have been trained and are able to help consumers as they look for health coverage options through the Health Insurance Exchange, assisted 2,343 clients during the OEP. Assistance by the Certified Application Counselors is free to consumers.

“Family Health’s Certified Application Counselors have worked diligently to help thousands of people enroll in affordable plans this year,” said Kelly Warren, Executive Director for Family Health. “Several patients have returned to the counselors to deliver heartfelt thanks for the impact their assistance has had on both their family’s budget and healthcare access.”

During the 10th year of ACA Open Enrollment, more Americans signed up for high-quality, affordable health insurance through the ACA Marketplaces than ever before. The number of people who have signed up for an affordable health care plan through HealthCare.gov has increased by nearly 50 percent. Because of the Marketplace, millions of working families saved an average of $800 on their health insurance premiums last year.

Total plan selections include 3.6 million people (22 percent of total) who are new to the Marketplaces for 2023, and 12.7 million people (78 percent of total) who had active 2022 coverage and made a plan selection for 2023 coverage or were automatically re-enrolled. More than 1.8 million more people have signed up for health insurance, or a 13 percent increase, from this time last year. The 3.6 million plan selections from people who are new to the Marketplaces represent a 21 percent increase in new-to-Marketplace plan selections over last year.

Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, more people this year continued to qualify for help purchasing quality health coverage with expanded financial assistance, resulting in four out of five people returning to HealthCare.gov being able to find a plan for $10 or less after-tax credits.