The Affordable Care Act marketplace saw a record number of signups nationwide for 2023, but Maine saw a decrease in enrollment.
Roughly 63,000 Mainers signed up for health insurance on the marketplace, compared with 66,000 last year. Ann Woloson, executive director of Consumers for Affordable Health Care, says one likely reason for the decline is the improved economy.
"People are getting jobs that are providing them with health insurance so they haven't had to rely on the marketplace," she says.
Another reason, Woloson says, is that people on MaineCare have received continuous eligibility throughout the pandemic. But that will end in April, and she says some people may transition to the marketplace under a special enrollment period.
According to Maine's Department of Health and Human Services, 83% of consumers who enrolled in 2023 marketplace plans received financial assistance, and more than 10,000 are paying monthly premiums that are under $10.
