There has been a steep drop in Affordable Care Act (ACA), also referred to as "Obamacare," insurance numbers, halfway through the sign-up season for 2019, raising concerns that the Trump administration’s controversial policy changes are undermining the marketplaces.
The 9.2 percent drop to roughly 100,000 sign-ups per day has surprised close observers of the ACA markets, who expected the number of customers to remain fairly stable even after Republicans eliminated the unpopular individual mandate penalties for being uninsured. Premium hikes were fairly low in most states for 2019, and many parts of the country saw an increase in consumer choice as more health plans participated in what they now see as a more profitable, stabilizing market.
Insurance experts say it’s unlikely that any one major cause is behind the enrollment dip compared with last year’s enrollment period. Instead, it’s likely a confluence of headwinds.
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