Open enrollment for buying 2020 health insurance on the federal Affordable Care Act marketplace closes at 1 a.m. Monday, Dec. 16.
The pace of enrollment is down from last year.
Through Dec. 7, the number of Arizonans who had selected a plan on healthcare.gov was 60,339. Last year, the end of the sixth week of enrollment saw 73,214 enrollees.
That’s a difference of about 17%, and a much bigger drop than the decline nationwide, which is about 6%.
There could be many reasons for that, including fear among legal immigrants of using safety net programs.
But premiums are down from last year, too.
Sylvia Burwell, former Secretary of Health and Human Services, said people need to realize there are affordable plans on healthcare.gov.
“There are millions of consumers across the country ... that are in the marketplace and could qualify for zero dollar plans,” she said on a call with reporters.
The Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers said about 300,000 Arizonans could be eligible for health insurance without a monthly premium. People can find assistance at coveraz.org.
