Great Lakes Wire

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and her administration are celebrating a record-breaking healthcare.gov open enrollment period. 

The Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) Director Anita Fox said that more than 303,000 Michiganders enrolled in a 2022 health plan on the Health Insurance Marketplace during the recent Open Enrollment period, a press release reported. This represents the highest number of enrollments since 2017.

"Every Michigander deserves affordable, comprehensive health insurance, and thanks to record-breaking enrollment under the Affordable Care Act, more than 303,000 Michiganders now have the coverage and peace of mind that comes with a high-quality health plan," Whitmer said. "I am thankful to our federal partners for helping us make this successful Open Enrollment period possible, and to our state and local partners for all they did to help these Michiganders get covered." 

Approximately 303,550 Michiganders signed up for a new health plan between Nov. 1, 2021 and Jan. 15. This represents a nearly 14% increase over enrollment numbers for 2020, and a nearly 16% increase over 2019, showing a strong upward trend in the need for affordable, comprehensive health insurance. 

Nationally, more than 14.5 million people found a plan during Open Enrollment, including 5.8 million people who selected a marketplace plan for the first time. The next opportunity to enroll will start on Nov. 1.

Michiganders who missed the Jan. 15 deadline for 2022 coverage may still qualify for a Special Enrollment Period if they experience a qualifying life event, such as a birth, job loss or divorce, the press release stated. In addition, Michiganders who qualify for the state's Medicaid or MIChild programs can apply at any time. For help getting started, and to figure out for which programs they qualify, consumers should visit healthcare.gov/lower-costs.