Nearly one million new people enrolled in health insurance plans available through the Affordable Care Act marketplaces, with major jumps in enrollment in Texas and Florida, states with some of the lowest insuranced rates and the highest coronavirus infections in the nation.
According to Politico, Texas saw a 20% increase in ACA applications while Florida witnessed a 9% increase. Texas has the highest number of uninsured per capita in the nation, with more than 17% of the residents not having health insurance; 12.3% of Floridians are uninsured.
Advocates point to increased promotion for ACA plans made possible by funding granted through the American Rescue Plan, one of President Biden’s signature domestic policies. The funds helped produce and air commercials encouraging people to enroll in the exchange, and it produced ads in English, Spanish, Hindi, Tagalog, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese and Korean.