Enrollment in Individual Market Dips Slightly in Early 2019 after Repeal of Individual Mandate Penalty

The analysis provides an early look at how the market is working following recent policy changes that some argued would spark dramatic upheaval among consumers who buy their own health insurance either through the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces or through off-exchange plans.

The decline of about 651,000 customers stems entirely in the off-exchange market, where purchasers are ineligible for tax credits and must pay the full cost of insurance themselves. Enrollment in marketplace plans...