About 12.2 million U.S. consumers signed up for health insurance via the Affordable Care Act during the open enrollment period for 2017, the federal government said.
The figure includes those who were automatically re-enrolled, as well as about a third who were new to the Obamacare marketplaces.
The government’s Obamacre figures for 2017 include the 39 states that use the HealthCare.gov platform, as well as the dozen state-based programs, including California’s.
That compares with the 12.7 million who signed up or were re-enrolled for the 2016 open enrollment. The final numbers were below overall projections for Obamacare in 2017.
The signups came in an atmosphere of uncertainty, as successful president candidate Donald Trump campaigned on a promise to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, the product of the previous Democratic administration.
The Trump administration in its early days canceled the final round of ads designed to boost enrollments in the 2017 signup’s critical final days.
Once again, more than 8 out of 10 of those who bought insurance under Obamacare qualified for government subsidies.
California, which has the strongest state Obamcare operation, signed up or re-enrolled more than 1.5 million people during the open period. The total California enrollment also was slightly down from 2016.
Covered California, meanwhile, released a study of the 2016 year that showed 12 percent of its households received more than $10,000 per year and 16 percent of individuals received more than $6,000 per year “to help bring health care coverage within reach.” Covered California said its participating households received an average of $5,300 per year in tax credits.
Overall, Covered California enrollees received $4.2 billion in subsidies to help them purchase health coverage in 2016.
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