PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A record number of Pennsylvanians enrolled in health insurance for this year through the state’s Affordable Care Act health insurance marketplace, known as Pennie.
When the marketplace enrollment period closed on Jan. 19, 435,000 Pennsylvanians had signed up for health insurance, about 60,000 more than in the last couple of years. That’s a 17% increase over last year, hitting a record for the four years it’s been operating.
“Prior to COVID, enrollment nationwide and in Pennsylvania had not reached these levels,” said Devon Trolley, executive director of Pennie.
Trolley says two factors contributed to the significant increase this year. One was the end of the pandemic pause on losing Medicaid eligibility.
Changes to Medicaid status were put on hold during the pandemic, so many people whose income grew to exceed Medicaid limits turned to the marketplace.
The other was a temporary increase in federal subsidies for marketplace plans. “For people who are losing Medicaid, they’re able to enroll in Pennie because there’s not as much of a change in what they have to pay,” she said. “The enhanced federal subsidies have really helped make it more affordable and drive that enrollment.”
Trolley says the subsidies expire in 2025, so Congress must act in the next year or so to extend them. Some members of Congress and candidates, instead, want to repeal not only the subsidies but the Affordable Care Act itself. Trolley says that would leave nearly a half-million Pennsylvanians uninsured.
“Everyone who has coverage through Pennie would lose it,” she said.
The enrollment period is over until November but Pennsylvanians can still get coverage if they have a life change, such as losing a job or having a baby.