Open Enrollment Report: Government Paying More for ACA Plans

Expect the current trend to continue if proposed changes come to fruition.

About 11.8 million people signed up for health insurance on Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchanges during last fall’s open enrollment period, according to a final report released Tuesday by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

The number came close to last year’s 12.2 million sign-ups, despite concerns that a reduction in resources and confusion over the ACA’s future could dampen enrollment.

Perhaps the most interesting numbers in the final report, however, were the ones indicating who paid how much for these plans. Although the average subsidized premium paid by consumers fell, the cost to the government rose.