11.4M sign up for Obama-era health plans this year

WASHINGTON – The government says 11.4 million people have signed up for coverage this year under former President Barack Obama’s health law. That’s just a slight dip from 2018.

Despite the Trump administration’s ongoing hostility to “Obamacare,” a report from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released on Monday found remarkably steady enrolment— down only about 300,000 consumers.

Still, the number of new customers fell by more than 500,000. That’s a worrisome sign for backers of the Affordable Care Act. They say the Trump administration’s cuts to the ad budget and repeal of a requirement that people get insured will gradually eat away at the program.

The federal health insurance market, HealthCare.gov, has lost more than 1 million customers since President Donald Trump took office. State markets are holding their own.