Fact Sheets
2021 Marketplace Special Enrollment Period Report
February 15 – July 31, 2021
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Key Highlights of the 2021 Special Enrollment Period (SEP) through July 31: Nationwide Marketplace signups: Over 2.5 million Americans have signed up for new health insurance coverage through HealthCare.gov and State-based Marketplaces during the 2021 Marketplace SEP as of July 31, 2021. HealthCare.gov States:
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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reports that over 2.5 million Americans have signed up for health insurance as of July 31, 2021, through HealthCare.gov and State-based Marketplaces (SBMs), combined, since the start of the 2021 SEP made available in all Marketplaces. Consumers in states with an SBM made 723,000 plan selections since the start date of each state’s SEP through July 31, 2021. (See glossary for more information on SBMs.)
In HealthCare.gov states, 1.8 million Americans have signed up for health insurance since the SEP opportunity became available on February 15, 2021, through July 31, 2021; with 404,000 consumers signing up for health insurance in the month of July, alone.1
The number of new plan selections through HealthCare.gov, from the start of the SEP on February 15, 2021 through July 31, 2021, represents a substantial increase in enrollment from the same period in 2020 and 2019, when 713,000 and 521,000 consumers signed up for Marketplace coverage, respectively.2 In previous years, SEPs were available primarily only for qualifying life events, whereas this year the Biden-Harris Administration opened a SEP available on HealthCare.gov, in response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.
Under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP), most consumers are now eligible for more generous APTC, which further reduce the portion of monthly premiums paid by consumers. Since HealthCare.gov implemented the expanded APTC amounts on April 1, 2021, 2.6 million consumers have returned to the Marketplace and reduced their monthly premiums after APTC by 39 percent, from $105 to $63, on average, and 30 percent (784,000) of returning consumers newly selected plans for $10 or less per month after APTC.
The ARP also makes it more affordable for new consumers to purchase and use Marketplace coverage. For new consumers selecting plans through HealthCare.gov under the SEP, the average monthly premium after APTC fell by 27 percent, from $117 for those enrolling from February 15, 2021 through March 31 2021, to $85 for those enrolling from April 1, 2021, through July 31, 2021. Additionally, 45 percent (654,000) of new consumers since April 1, 2021, selected plans for $10 or less after APTC. The ARP also helped to lower out of pocket costs for many new consumers. The median deductible for new consumers during the SEP fell by nearly 90 percent, from $450 prior to April 1, 2021, to $50 for new consumers enrolling from April 1, 2021 through July 31, 2021.
The tables below provide additional details on SEP activity and plan selections in HealthCare.gov states:
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Plan Selection and Application Activity |
Feb. 15 – Jul. 31, 2021 |
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New Plan Selections |
1,832,229 |
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New Consumers Requesting Coverage on an Application Submitted on or after February 15 |
3,393,724 |
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Marketplace Eligible |
2,870,120 |
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Medicaid/CHIP Eligible |
472,493 |
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Call Center and Website Activity |
Feb. 15 – Jul. 31, 2021 |
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Call Center Volume |
4,458,188 |
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Calls with Spanish-Speaking Representative |
513,056 |
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HealthCare.gov Users |
27,039,648 |
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Window Shopping HealthCare.gov Users |
1,552,464 |
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CuidadoDeSalud.gov Users |
1,284,506 |
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Window Shopping CuidadoDeSalud.gov Users |
67,600 |
1 Cumulative plan selections from February 15, 2021, through July 31, 2021 reflect new plan selections net of terminations and cancellations during that period and count consumers that were not actively enrolled as of February 14, 2021. The July 1, 2021-July 31, 2021 total only reflects plan selection activity since July 1, 2021 and counts consumers who were not actively enrolled as of June 30, 2021.
2 New Jersey and Pennsylvania transitioned to State-based Marketplaces in 2020, and Nevada transitioned to a State-
based Marketplace in 2019. Plan selections from these three states aren’t included in the HealthCare.gov data tables below.
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New Plan Selections by Gender (%) |
Feb. 15 – Jul. 31, 2021 |
Feb. 15 – Jul. 31, 2020 |
Feb. 15 – Jul. 31, 2019 |
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Female |
54 |
55 |
56 |
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Male |
46 |
45 |
44 |
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New Plan Selections by Ethnicity (%) |
Feb. 15 – Jul. 31, 2021 |
Feb. 15 – Jul. 31, 2020 |
Feb. 15 – Jul. 31, 2019 |
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Hispanic/Latino |
11 |
10 |
10 |
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Not Hispanic/Latino |
49 |
49 |
53 |
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Unknown |
40 |
41 |
36 |
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New Plan Selections by Race (%) |
Feb. 15 – Jul. 31, 2021 |
Feb. 15 – Jul. 31, 2020 |
Feb. 15 – Jul. 31, 2019 |
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African-American |
7 |
5 |
5 |
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Asian |
3 |
4 |
4 |
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White |
33 |
36 |
43 |
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Other Race3 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
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Unknown |
53 |
51 |
44 |
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New Plan Selections by State |
Feb. 15 – Jul. 31, 2021 |
Feb. 15 – Jul. 31, 2020 |
Feb. 15 – Jul. 31, 2019 |
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Alaska |
3,641 |
1,355 |
1,298 |
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Alabama |
37,455 |
12,381 |
8,656 |
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Arkansas |
17,324 |
5,907 |
5,817 |
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Arizona |
36,102 |
13,053 |
12,262 |
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Delaware |
5,377 |
2,525 |
1,930 |
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Florida |
487,342 |
210,860 |
142,858 |
3 Other Race includes multiracial, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander.
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New Plan Selections by State |
Feb. 15 – Jul. 31, 2021 |
Feb. 15 – Jul. 31, 2020 |
Feb. 15 – Jul. 31, 2019 |
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Georgia |
129,260 |
39,416 |
24,209 |
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Hawaii |
3,718 |
2,775 |
1,813 |
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Iowa |
13,658 |
6,271 |
5,559 |
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Illinois |
47,939 |
24,011 |
21,759 |
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Indiana |
24,869 |
11,610 |
10,570 |
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Kansas |
18,708 |
7,209 |
5,694 |
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Kentucky |
18,121 |
7,287 |
8,161 |
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Louisiana |
15,369 |
6,224 |
7,274 |
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Maine |
9,145 |
4,416 |
3,866 |
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Michigan |
42,477 |
21,485 |
19,324 |
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Missouri |
46,340 |
15,595 |
10,904 |
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Mississippi |
28,282 |
8,882 |
5,183 |
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Montana |
6,814 |
3,619 |
3,108 |
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North Carolina |
109,848 |
36,896 |
28,265 |
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North Dakota |
4,762 |
1,916 |
1,588 |
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Nebraska |
13,894 |
6,783 |
6,086 |
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New Hampshire |
8,107 |
4,158 |
3,755 |
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New Mexico |
8,051 |
2,895 |
2,855 |
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Ohio |
43,129 |
18,239 |
15,262 |
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Oklahoma |
34,446 |
18,047 |
13,299 |
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Oregon |
19,957 |
11,641 |
11,235 |
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South Carolina |
52,966 |
16,264 |
10,463 |
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South Dakota |
6,783 |
2,553 |
2,227 |
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Tennessee |
51,071 |
17,892 |
10,997 |
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Texas |
360,104 |
115,634 |
62,116 |
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Utah |
38,641 |
17,162 |
15,515 |
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Virginia |
48,272 |
18,707 |
17,577 |
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Wisconsin |
30,489 |
15,338 |
16,046 |
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West Virginia |
3,765 |
1,696 |
1,417 |
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Wyoming |
6,003 |
2,322 |
1,824 |
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HealthCare.gov States Total |
1,832,229 |
713,024 |
520,772 |
4 Represents consumers with an active plan selection as of March 31, 2021 who returned to the Marketplace and made a new plan selection (which could include re-selecting their current plan) during the period that had a premium of $10 or less after APTC. Does not include returning consumers who had a premium of $10 or less after APTC prior to April 1, 2021.
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% of Consumers Newly Selecting Plans for $10 or Less after APTC, April 1- July 31, 2021 |
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State |
New Consumers |
Returning Consumers4 |
Total |
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Alaska |
28% |
29% |
29% |
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Alabama |
57% |
35% |
47% |
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Arkansas |
31% |
19% |
24% |
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Arizona |
25% |
18% |
22% |
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Delaware |
21% |
25% |
23% |
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Florida |
52% |
34% |
39% |
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Georgia |
46% |
36% |
40% |
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Hawaii |
23% |
26% |
25% |
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Iowa |
43% |
34% |
38% |
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Illinois |
19% |
14% |
16% |
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Indiana |
20% |
10% |
14% |
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Kansas |
36% |
22% |
28% |
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Kentucky |
35% |
19% |
27% |
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Louisiana |
28% |
23% |
25% |
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Maine |
20% |
26% |
24% |
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Michigan |
23% |
20% |
21% |
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Missouri |
44% |
27% |
35% |
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Mississippi |
59% |
46% |
51% |
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Montana |
25% |
24% |
24% |
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North Carolina |
51% |
34% |
41% |
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North Dakota |
41% |
33% |
37% |
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Nebraska |
48% |
33% |
39% |
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New Hampshire |
14% |
16% |
15% |
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New Mexico |
39% |
23% |
30% |
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Ohio |
24% |
15% |
19% |
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Oklahoma |
59% |
26% |
39% |
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Oregon |
15% |
16% |
16% |
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South Carolina |
49% |
28% |
37% |
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South Dakota |
37% |
27% |
32% |
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Tennessee |
47% |
30% |
38% |
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Texas |
53% |
27% |
37% |
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Utah |
48% |
38% |
41% |
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Virginia |
37% |
31% |
34% |
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Wisconsin |
26% |
25% |
25% |
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West Virginia |
17% |
12% |
14% |
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Wyoming |
50% |
36% |
43% |
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HealthCare.gov States Total |
45% |
30% |
35% |
Glossary
New Plan Selections: The number of unique consumers who didn’t have an active enrollment as of February 14, 2021, and made a plan selection on or after February 15, 2021, that is active as of the end of the reporting period. An active plan selection is one that is non-cancelled with an end date of December 31, 2021. While this plan selection metric is net of cancellations and terminations that occur during the reporting period, it doesn’t represent effectuated enrollments because reconciliation activity may continue in later periods. Plan selections for SBMs are discussed below.
HealthCare.gov States: This report refers to the 36 states with Marketplaces that use the HealthCare.gov platform for the 2021 coverage year. The 36 states for 2021 include: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
State-based Marketplace (SBM) States: This report refers to the 15 states with that use their own platforms for the 2021 coverage year. With some exceptions, SBMs reported new plan selection data to CMS on the number of unique consumers who didn’t have an active enrollment as of the start of the SBM’s SEP, and made a plan selection on or after the SBM’s SEP, that is active as of the end of the reporting period. Idaho’s data is reported from March 1 to April 30, 2021 and Massachusetts’s data is reported from February 1 to July 23, 2021. The end dates for both these states represent the closing date of their SEPs. In addition, some SBMs had SEP start dates prior to 2/1 for which this data does not account. Please contact the SBMs for additional information on this data metric. The 15 states for 2021, and their SEP start and/or reporting dates, are:
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SBM |
SEP Start Date (Reporting Date) |
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California |
2/1 |
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Colorado |
2/8 |
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Connecticut |
2/15 |
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DC |
2/1 (2/9) |
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Idaho |
3/1 |
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Maryland |
12/16 (2/1) |
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Massachusetts |
1/24 (2/1) |
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Minnesota |
2/16 |
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Nevada |
2/15 |
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New Jersey |
2/1 |
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New York |
2/1 |
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Pennsylvania |
2/15 |
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Rhode Island |
1/24 (2/15) |
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Vermont |
2/16 |
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Washington |
2/15 |
New Consumers Requesting Coverage on an Application Submitted on or after February 15: The number of unique consumers who submitted an application and are requesting coverage on or after February 15, 2021, and didn’t have an active enrollment as of February 14, 2021. If determined eligible for Marketplace coverage, a consumer still needs to pick a health plan (i.e., plan selection) and pay the premium to have coverage (i.e., effectuate enrollment).
Marketplace Eligible: The number of unique new consumers requesting coverage on an application submitted on or after February 15, 2021 who are determined eligible to enroll in a Marketplace health plan, regardless of whether they applied for or are eligible for financial assistance.
Medicaid/CHIP Eligible: The number of unique new consumers requesting coverage on an application submitted on or after February 15, 2021 who are assessed or determined eligible for enrollment in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).[5]
Call Center Volume: The total number of calls received by the Marketplace Call Center, which supports HealthCare.gov, over the course of the reporting period. Calls with Spanish-speaking representatives are not included.
Calls with Spanish-Speaking Representative: The total number of calls received by the Marketplace Call Center, which supports HealthCare.gov, where consumers chose to speak with a Spanish-speaking representative over the course of the reporting period. These calls are not included in the Call Center Volume metric.
HealthCare.gov Users or CuidadoDeSalud.gov Users: These user metrics total how many unique users viewed or interacted with HealthCare.gov or CuidadoDeSalud.gov, respectively, over the course of the reporting period.
Window Shopping HealthCare.gov Users or CuidadoDeSalud.gov Users: These user metrics total how many unique users interacted with the window-shopping tool at HealthCare.gov or CuidadoDeSalud.gov, respectively, over the course of the reporting period. Users who window- shopped are also included in the HealthCare.gov or CuidadoDeSalud.gov user total.
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