HealthCare.gov beats 2019 daily signup average

Renewals continue to be stronger than new signup activity.

(Credit: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)

HealthCare.gov is reporting strong signup activity for the fifth week of the open enrollment period for 2021 individual and family major medical coverage.

The fifth week in the current open enrollment period ended Dec. 5.

Activity was much higher in the fifth week of this open enrollment period than in the open enrollment period that occurred in 2019, for 2020 coverage.

Thanksgiving threw off comparisons: It occurred during the fifth week of the open enrollment period last year, and in the fourth week this year.

A copy of the latest CMS HealthCare.gov 2021 open enrollment period snapshot report is available here.

The “first five weeks” of the current open enrollment period, for 2021 coverage, included 35 days. The first five weeks of last year’s open enrollment period ,for 2020 coverage, included 30 days, because the first “week” was just two days long.

But, this year, the average number of signups per day has increased along with the five-week signup total

Here are key HealthCare.gov signup activity indicators of 2021 (verses the fifth week of 2020):

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency that runs HealthCare.gov, published the signup figures in a new weekly open enrollment period snapshot report.

HealthCare.gov is part of the Affordable Care Act public exchange system program. Consumers can use the site to shop for commercial coverage and apply for ACA premium tax credit subsidies.

The open enrollment period is the time when people can sign up for coverage without showing that they have what the government defines as a good reason to be shopping for coverage. The open enrollment period runs from Nov. 1 through Dec. 15 in HealthCare.gov states.

CMS describes HealthCare.gov activity in terms of “plan sections” rather than “sales” because HealthCare.gov gives new customers several weeks to effectuate their coverage, by sending in a premium payment.

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