Since 1980, Mississippi’s electoral college votes have consistently gone to Republican candidates, so it comes as little surprise that the state stood in opposition to the Democrat-supported Affordable Care Act. Mississippi also opted not to expand Medicare to those earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty limit in accordance with ACA guidelines.
Enrollment through the Years
Mississippi’s health care marketplace (One, Mississippi) is used only by small business owners to sign up for employee coverage. Mississippi does not maintain its own state exchange for individuals. Rather, individuals looking for coverage in Mississippi do so through the federal marketplace. Since 2015, Mississippi has seen a decline in enrollment with a brief increase last year. The significant drop from 2016 to 2017 may have been related to the turbulence surrounding the 2016 presidential election and the uncertainty over what its result would mean for the future of the ACA.
- 104,538 Mississippians enrolled in 2015
- 108,672 Mississippians enrolled in 2016
- 88,483 Mississippians enrolled in 2017
This year, 34,286 Mississippians signed up for a marketplace plan for the first time. Of the total enrollment tally, 54,197 people were returning customers. Many Mississippi participants are older. The 55-64 age bracket is the strongest representation among enrollees.
Mississippi opted not to expand Medicaid coverage in accordance with ACA guidelines.
Cost Assistance
The ACA offers cost assistance through subsidies from the federal government to help people pay their premiums. These are typically available to people who make between 100 to 400 percent of the federal poverty limit. This year, 89 percent of Mississippians who signed up for marketplace plans qualified for cost assistance.
The ACA also provides cost-sharing reductions (CSRs) to participants who earn up to 250 percent of the federal poverty limit if they choose a silver-level health plan. In 2017, 76 percent of Mississippi enrollees received CSRs.
Carrier Participation & Plan Availability
Two health insurance carriers provided marketplace plans in Mississippi in 2017, but only one will participate in 2018. The two carriers offered a total of 1,522 Mississippi plans in 2017, but the specific plans offered varied from county to county, meaning not every customer has access to the same number of plans.
Note: The information provided on this page is constantly being updated with the latest statistical data available. Check back soon for updates.
