AHLA report: The Wall Street Journal (12/31, Radnofsky, Subscription Publication) reports that the Obama Administration said Wednesday that about 3.6 million HealthCare.gov users returned to the site to renew their health plans before a mid-December deadline, and that about 2.4 million customers had their coverage automatically renewed. HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell said in a statement that “Millions of consumers that had 2015 coverage—an impressive 60 percent—came back to HealthCare.gov to update their information, explore the options available for 2016 and select the plan that best fits their needs.”
Last year, the Washington Times (12/31, Howell) reports, about 40 percent of customers returned to HealthCare.gov to shop for new plans. The article notes the Obama Administration has “urged enrollees to shop around to improve their chances of getting a good deal.”
Overall, more than 8.5 million people signed up for coverage on the Federal marketplace from Nov. 1 through Dec. 26, Bloomberg News (12/31, Edney) reports. The article adds that “Jan. 15 is the last day to enroll or change plans for coverage starting Feb. 1, and Jan. 31 is the last day for coverage starting March 1.”