November 1 marked the first day Americans can sign up for health insurance on the Affordable Care Act's marketplaces for 2019, marking the sixth open-enrollment period for the law known as Obamacare and the first to feature a fully stabilized program.
After years of increasing premiums, the marketplaces — for people who do not get coverage from their job or a government program like Medicare — appear to have finally settled into a groove. Many states will see small increases, and some will even experience decreases in premiums.
Why exactly we aren't seeing the sky-high premium increases of previous years is a matter of some political debate, but many experts say that the improving costs are simply a function of time.
The map
For the 39 states that use the federally facilitated Healthcare.gov platform, open enrollment runs from November 1 until December 15 (other states may have longer enrollment periods).
This is half the length of open enrollment periods under former President Barack Obama. But consumers in most states should be getting some relief from the skyrocketing premiums of recent years. The Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health-policy think tank, crunched the numbers on premiums for every state and found a more favorable environment for consumers compared to previous years.
After years of increasing premiums, the marketplaces — for people who do not get coverage from their job or a government program like Medicare — appear to have finally settled into a groove. Many states will see small increases, and some will even experience decreases in premiums.
Why exactly we aren't seeing the sky-high premium increases of previous years is a matter of some political debate, but many experts say that the improving costs are simply a function of time.
The map
For the 39 states that use the federally facilitated Healthcare.gov platform, open enrollment runs from November 1 until December 15 (other states may have longer enrollment periods).
This is half the length of open enrollment periods under former President Barack Obama. But consumers in most states should be getting some relief from the skyrocketing premiums of recent years. The Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health-policy think tank, crunched the numbers on premiums for every state and found a more favorable environment for consumers compared to previous years.
Comments