Obamacare insurance signups expected to trail 2016 due to shortened enrollment period

Enrollment into the ACA's health insurance exchanges ends Dec. 15, and despite record demand insurance signups are expected to trail 2016 numbers because of a decreased enrollment period, NPR reports.

Here's what you should know:

1. As of Dec. 10, approximately 4.7 million had enrolled into a health plan, with more than 1 million of them being new customers. Approximately 650,000 more people signed up in the first six weeks this year than last year.

2. HHS decreased the open enrollment period for 2018, arguing the shorter enrollment period would limit people from buying insurance only to cover when they get sick. HHS also cut the outreach and advertising budget for HealthCare.gov by 90 percent.

3. Lori Lodes — a former Obama administration member in charge of HealthCare.gov outreach, who is now leading an effort to help Americans enroll into the ACA — blamed the decreased enrollment period for the lower number of insurance signups this year.

She said to NPR, "We are seeing record demand. People want to get health coverage, and people are finding affordable coverage when they actually shop and sign up. The problem is that the enrollment period is cut in half."

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