CMS: 10.2 million signed up for insurance through exchanges

Some 10.2 million people had signed up and paid their premiums for health insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act’s exchanges as of March, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said yesterday. The agency described the coverage as “effectuated,” which means the enrollees received and paid for their coverage. The agency's goal was 9.1 million effectuated signups. Of those who paid for their premiums, 85%, or 8.7 million, received a tax credit as a subsidy to help pay for the coverage, with the average credit being $272 per month. CMS said 6.4 million people are receiving subsidies to help them pay for coverage in the 34 states that rely on the federal exchange. Those people could lose their subsidies if the Supreme Court rules in King v. Burwell that subsidies to reduce the costs of policies sold through the federal exchange are invalid. A ruling is expected later this month.