Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Hits Record Numbers, but Open Enrollment Ends Soon

With reports emerging that a record number of Americans have enrolled in Affordable Care Act, many of you might be wondering how you can coverage as well, and if it’s even right for you in the first place. Luckily, you have a few days left to decided during the program’s annual open enrollment period.

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You’d be forgiven for missing that the annual open enrollment period for ACA health insurance, known to many as “Obamacare,” kicked off at the start of November. This period gives everyone the opportunity to get health coverage or change their existing plan for a two-and-a-half month period. Outside of this period, you can get or change ACA coverage only after a qualifying life event. Over 24 million people have already chosen an ACA plan during this current period, breaking the record set last year at 21.3 million.

Using data collected in 2023 and early 2024, the Department of Health and Human Services in March found that over 45 million people had insurance through the ACA. Though roughly half of Americans still get coverage via their jobs, that’s still a substantial portion of the US population and the highest ACA enrollment rate on record. If you’re interested in getting in on it as well, read on for the details you need to know.

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When is the 2024 Affordable Care Act enrollment period?

The current open enrollment period began on Nov. 1, 2024, and will last until Jan. 15, 2025. During this time, anyone who is eligible for ACA coverage can enroll in a new plan or change their current one.

Anyone who signed up by Dec. 18, 2024, will have seen their coverage go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025. Anything done between now the end of the enrollment period will get you covered starting on Feb. 1, 2025.

Who is eligible for Affordable Care Act health insurance?

Healthcare.gov lists three requirements for people to be eligible for health insurance through its marketplace. For starters, you must currently be residing in the US, meeting the IRS standard of residing in the country for tax purposes. Second, you must be a US citizen or national, or you must otherwise be a noncitizen who is lawfully present in the country. Finally, you must not currently be incarcerated.

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Note that if you currently have Medicare coverage, you can’t also sign up for Marketplace health or dental insurance plans.

How can I sign up for Affordable Care Act health insurance?

During this open enrollment period, or if you have a qualifying life event any other time of the year, you can visit an official ACA online Marketplace website to create an account and start the process. The official page for this on Healthcare.gov features a drop-down menu allowing you to choose which state or territory you reside in.

Some states and Washington, DC, run their own Marketplace, and Healthcare.gov will direct you there. Here are the states with their own sites: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington. If you live in any other state or territory, you’ll be able to create an account and enroll directly through Healthcare.gov. 

Beyond that point, Healthcare.gov provides more resources to help you prepare for enrollment, including a checklist to help you find out which materials you’ll need and a list of steps to help you estimate your current income. There is no income limit for ACA insurance, but some individuals with lower incomes might qualify for cheaper coverage.

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