The Health 202: Four possible explanations for the shocking Obamacare enrollment figures

[yallerdawg]

"Americans are flocking to Healthcare.gov in greater numbers than ever before in a development that runs precisely contrary to the doom-and-gloom everyone had predicted for this enrollment season."

2016: 78,000 ppl/day
2017: 84,000 ppl day
2018: 150,000 ppl/day


Source: Washington Post, by Paige Winfield Cunningham

1. More Americans can get more generous subsidies this year.

This is a phenomenon stemming from Trump’s decision to cut off extra payments to insurers for cost-sharing reductions they must offer.

Enrollees eligible for subsidies will get $555 on average to offset the cost of their plans, up 45 percent from this year’s $382 average tax credit, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

2. People with a Healthcare.gov account are still getting reminder emails.

Over the last four years, the Obama administration created a large database of email addresses for past and current enrollees. Even though it appears the Trump administration isn’t using some of the email messaging strategies that were effective in years past – like telling people they could find cheaper plans on Healthcare.gov if they shopped around – email remains a major way Americans remember to sign up.

3. Maybe brokers are kicking butt.

The Trump administration reversed the crackdown in a rule last spring, allowing brokers to once again enroll people in marketplace plans through their own websites. This could lead to brokers filling a hole left by the administration’s refusal to promote the law.

4. Advertising drives enrollment near the end of signup season, not the beginning of it.

If the reduced advertising dollars do have a dampening effect on enrollment, that effect won’t be apparent until near the end of the signup season, Peck told me. Outreach is less important at the very beginning of the season because that’s when the most motivated customers are signing up. Last year, the Obama administration didn’t run any TV ads during the first week of open enrollment, Peck said.

“Outreach has an outsize effect the last week or two weeks of open enrollment,” Peck said.

Read it all at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/the-health-202/2017/11/10/the-health-202-four-possible-explanations-for-the-shocking-obamacare-enrollment-figures/5a04720530fb045a2e002ecb/

[Wellstone ruled]

1. Knowing a couple folks

that are Brokers,they are pounding the pavement extra hard this year. The Re-up Commissions make this a easy no brainer money maker. Dialing for Dollars.