Utahns bucked a national health-care trend for 2019, increasing enrollment in Healthcare.gov insurance plans despite the repeal of the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate and slumping enrollment numbers nationwide.
Preliminary numbers released last month showed Utah enrollment dipping slightly compared to the prior year’s open enrollment period. But a final count, released Friday by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, showed 194,570 Utahns enrolling in individual insurance plans for 2019 through the federal exchange, compared to 194,118 for 2018.
“I’m as surprised as anyone,” said Randall Serr, Director of Take Care Utah, which assists individuals in signing up for and utilizing health insurance.