HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell reflected on the first five years of the Affordable Care Act and provided a look at the upcoming open enrollment period in a speech at Washington, D.C.-based Howard University College of Medicine Sept. 22.
The open enrollment period runs from Nov. 1 through Jan. 31, 2016.
Here are four things to know about Secretary Burwell's preview of open enrollment.
1. Approximately 17.6 million have gained healthcare coverage under the ACA, according to a new ASPE Data Point. This number has risen for three primary reasons: young people can stay on their parents' plans until age 26, Medicaid was expanded in 29 states plus Washington, D.C., and affordable insurance was more available through the health insurance marketplaces.
2. The uninsured rate has declined among various groups. Between October 2013 and September 2015, the number of uninsured Latino adults who gained coverage dropped 11.5 percent to 4.0 million. The number of uninsured African American adults dropped 10.3 percent to 2.6 million, and the number of uninsured white adults dropped 6 percent to 7.4 million.
3. About 10.5 million uninsured Americans are eligible for marketplace coverage in the upcoming open enrollment. Half of these individuals are between the ages of 18 and 34. Nearly 40 percent are living between 139 and 250 percent of the federal poverty level, which is between $34,000 and $61,000 for a family of four. About one-third are people of color: 19 percent are Hispanic, 14 percent are African American and 2 percent are Asian American.
4. Secretary Burwell also highlighted key takeaways about the uninsured. Approximately 50 percent of the uninsured have less than $100 in savings, and almost three in five are confused about how the tax credits work or do not know they're available.