Mar 15, 2017

Obamacare enrollment numbers dip in 2017

The final Obamacare exchange numbers are out — 12.2 million people enrolled in a plan for 2017, down from 12.7 million sign-ups last year, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

The percentage of these enrollees who are ages 0-34 remains unchanged from last year at 37 percent. This is the key figure health wonks were watching, as more young and healthy people in the marketplace is likely to stabilize it and drive down premiums.

Not surprising: These numbers are somewhat expected. Not only was outreach depressed during the final days of open enrollment, but the Trump administration took power during this time promising to repeal the very exchanges people were enrolling in.

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