CMS: 10.6 Million Pay Premium to Trigger 2018 Exchange Enrollment

More than 10.6 million individuals had paid their first month’s premium to officially trigger their 2018 health insurance coverage through the federal and state-based exchanges in February, about 9% fewer people than selected a plan during open enrollment but 3% higher than the same time last year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reported today. About 87% of enrollees received an advanced premium tax credit. In 2017, average monthly enrollment fell by 20% among people who did not receive an advance premium tax credit, representing 85% of the enrollment loss for the year, according to a second report on trends in subsidized and unsubsidized enrollment. Among other trends, health insurance agents and brokers supported 42% of 2018 open enrollments in the federal platform exchanges, CMS said.