In Case You Haven't Heard...

The Biden‐Harris administration announced that 21.3 million people selected an Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance marketplace plan during the 2024 open enrollment period, according to a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Jan. 24 news release. Total plan selections include more than five million people — about a fourth — who are new to the marketplaces and 16 million people who renewed their coverage. Notably, open enrollment continues in four states and in Washington, D.C., through Jan. 31. "For decades, when it came to federal programs that we could depend on to keep Americans covered, three were always top of mind, Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, but now it's crystal clear that we need to add a fourth — the Affordable Care Act," said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. "The ACA continues to be a successful, popular, and important federal program for millions of people and their families. As we celebrate the success of this most recent enrollment effort, HHS will double down on the Biden‐Harris administration's efforts to increase access to quality care and lower costs." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]