A record number of Americans enrolled in Obamacare in 2024

Sara Chernikoff, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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Barack Obama, Kamala Harris, and Joe Biden discuss expansions to the ACA.
Barack Obama, Kamala Harris, and Joe Biden discuss expansions to the ACA.

A record number of Americans enrolled in the Affordable Care Act for 2024, the Biden administration announced Wednesday, marking the third consecutive year enrollment has set a record.

More than 21 million people signed up for health plans through Obamacare’s health insurance marketplaces, with 16 million people renewing coverage and another 5 million new to the marketplaces.

Open enrollment for the ACA marketplace ended last week in 32 states that use the federal HealthCare.gov platform. Eighteen states and Washington, D.C. operate their own marketplaces. Four states and Washington, DC are still accepting applications for open enrollment through January 31.

The final 2024 enrollment number is expected to increase.

“These historic enrollment numbers are a testament to the need for comprehensive, quality, affordable health insurance, and we must do everything we can to protect and expand access to coverage for all people,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “Numbers do not lie: Not only is demand for Marketplace insurance coverage at an all-time high, but the Marketplaces are delivering on the Affordable Care Act’s promise to provide the peace of mind that comes with having health insurance to millions of Americans.”

Under the Biden Administration, the enrollment rate has grown significantly each year. Between 2023 and 2024, marketplace signups grew by 30%. KFF, formerly known as the Kaiser Family Foundation, reported that enhanced subsidies in the American Rescue Plan Act and in the Inflation Reduction Act drove a majority of growth under Biden. The foundation also said increased marketing, outreach and enrollment assistance played a role in enrollment growth.

Obamacare enrollment increased in 2024

Between 2020 and 2024, Americans enrolling in the Affordable Care Act rose 87%; 2020 had the lowest enrollment total, other than the first year the marketplaces was up and running in 2014.

KFF reported that the number of total signups for Obamacare decreased under former President Donald Trump's administration. Between 2016 and 2020, the number of signups dropped 10% from 12.7 million to 11.4 million.

Which states had the most enrollment numbers for Obamacare?

The following states were responsible for half of the national growth in marketplace enrollment in 2024:

  • Texas (3.48 million)

  • Florida (4.2 million)

  • Georgia (1.3 million)

The following states had the highest percent increase in signups since 2023:

  • West Virginia (80%)

  • Louisiana (76%)

  • Ohio (62%)

  • Indiana (60%)

  • Tennessee (59%).

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the federal 2024 marketplace open enrollment period ran from November 1, 2023, to January 16, 2024, for states using the federal HealthCare.gov platform. State-based marketplace enrollment deadlines vary.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Enrollment in Obamacare is at a record high this year