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Enrollment deadline for Affordable Care Act insurance is near

Affordable Care Act offers insurance to 1.2 million Michiganders. Deadline to enroll is this week.
Open Enrollment deadline for Affordable Care Act is December 15th

A lot has changed since the government's flawed roll-out of healthcare.gov back in 2013. To this day, one thing that hasn't changed is the fact that many are still confused how to access the marketplace.

Recent data shows the number of people who signed up for health care, during the first two weeks of open enrollment, was down by about 20% from a year ago. That's not surprising considering the current administration slashed the Affordable Care Act's advertising budget by 90%. It also cut funding to groups that help people sign up for coverage on the marketplace.

In recent years the number of uninsured children in the United States has grown, according to researchers at Georgetown University. In Michigan, the rate of uninsured children hovers around 3%.

The good news is Michigan's - overall - uninsured rate is down. Last year, it was listed at around 5% compared to 11% when the ACA first started. There are currently 1.2 million people in Michigan insured through the ACA.

Advocates say there is still room for improvement, however. That's why they are encouraging those interested to not miss this week's deadline. Insurers, such as Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, say despite all the politics stills surrounding the Affordable Care Act, the market has stabilized and rate increases are much lower.

The State of Michigan offers information and assistance on how to shop for insurance on the marketplace on its website.

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