Despite a full court press by the state’s Democratic government, New Jersey is in an Obamacare enrollment slump, confounding the theory that Trump administration “sabotage” is to blame for the trend of lower Obamacare enrollment.
Boosters of Obamacare have pointed to a myriad of actions by President Trump that they argue have undermined enrollment, including the repeal of the individual mandate and slashing of the ad and outreach budget.
New Jersey has been among the most aggressive states in trying to counteract Trump’s actions at the federal level. The state government reinstated their own individual mandate, boosted outreach spending, placed limits on enrollment in short-term plans, and enacted a reinsurance program aimed at reducing premiums.
Despite all these efforts, through Nov. 24, just 66,473 Garden Staters had signed up for Obamacare coverage, down 16 percent from the 79,000 reported at about the same time a year ago.
Now, it’s possible that in the closing weeks enrollment will spike. It’s also possible that there was a shift this year, and more people started signing up outside the Obamacare exchange (as these numbers are only for plans purchased on the government-run exchange).
But at first blush, the New Jersey numbers present a challenge to those looking for an easy explanation for the drop off in enrollment that has been observed nationally.
