The Affordable Care Act remains popular in red-state Tennessee.
The government-subsidized health insurance program saw a whopping 59% increase in enrollments in this state as of Jan. 17, the fifth-highest increase in the nation, according to an analysis by the non-profit health policy group, KFF. A record 555,103 Tennesseans are now enrolled in plans, according to government figures.
Last year, that number was 348,097.
“We had a really busy year,” said Leah Jaynes, a federally certified health care navigator in Tennessee. “We had people working very hard to get clients completely enrolled and happy with their plans.”
Nationwide, government Marketplace enrollments reached a record 21.3 million people. That’s 5 million more than last year, or a 30% increase.
Why the increase?
Experts point to two factors, starting with enhanced subsidies from the Biden administration and Medicaid redetermination. To date in Tennessee, 274,286 people have lost TennCare coverage because they are no longer eligible or they did not prove eligibility, according to the state.