The second round of open enrollment under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act begins on Nov. 15, and the following are the most recent stories on health insurance sign-ups and open enrollment predictions.
1. Small Business Health Options Program enrollment dismal
Roughly 76,000 small-business workers had enrolled in state-run exchanges as of Nov. 13, falling dismally short of the Obama administration's predictions.
2. Low-priced plans on government exchange may decrease insurance tax credits for consumers
As insurers offer health plans with lower premiums on insurance exchanges to compete with rivals, they are simultaneously lowering the value of tax credits consumers receive from the government to offset their coverage costs.
3. Health literacy could affect open enrollment sign-ups: 5 findings
The second open enrollment period under the PPACA is about to begin and recent survey results have revealed many uninsured Americans don't have an understanding of basic health insurance terms.
4. Are politics getting in the way of insurance enrollment?
The PPACA has been highly politicized, and a recent study examines whether political views influence an individual's decision to purchase health insurance under the PPACA.
5. Consumer opinions about the PPACA and U.S. healthcare: 10 things to know
American health insurance consumers are a mix of confused and cost-conscious going into the next enrollment period.
6. PPACA enrollment expected to tumble: 5 facts and observations
The PPACA has endured criticism and challenges from politicians, consumers and providers since President Barack Obama first signed it into action in 2010. Now, as the start date of the second open enrollment period looms, new data shows projected rates of enrollment have significantly dropped.
7. HHS significantly lowers estimation for 2015 open enrollment sign-ups
HHS projected marketplace enrollment in 2015 will be between 9 million and 9.9 million people, which is significantly lower than the 13 million people the Congressional Budget Office projected would enroll.
8. Healthcare.gov undergoes ‘white hat’ hackings before Nov. 15 enrollment
To avoid the catastrophic enrollment issues of last year, HHS is hacking healthcare.gov several times before the Nov. 15 enrollment period to ensure the site will be up and running.
9. More than half former participants won't use federal exchanges this year
Fifty-one percent of Americans who used healthcare exchanges last year plan on not participating in them this year.
10. Insurers predict 20% jump in 2015 enrollment numbers
Insurers planning to sell 2015 health plans on the federal and state exchanges are predicting at least 20 percent more customers will sign up during the open enrollment period.
11. Medicaid, CHIP enrollment increases significantly: 5 things to know
Since October 2013, when open enrollment began on the insurance marketplaces, approximately 8.65 million people have enrolled in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program.
12. Healthcare.gov's second round: 3 changes to the exchange experience for 2015
Although Healthcare.gov had a glitch-ridden, bumpy rollout last year, there are three key changes people using Healthcare.gov will notice during the 2015 sign-up period.
13. 5 biggest challenges for the PPACA exchanges in their second year
During the second open enrollment period, federal officials will face these five main challenges when seeking to get the remaining eligible uninsured population signed up for coverage.
14. Will the new Healthcare.gov CEO be able to turn consumers into "raving fans"?
Healthcare.gov CEO Kevin Counihan has said the federal health insurance exchange website will become so user friendly that it will prompt consumers to become "raving fans" of the PPACA.