A record number of Texans have just signed up for ACA health insurance, but many more Texans may soon lose their health insurance.

DALLAS. Texas has long excelled when it comes to health insurance, and not in a good way. This state has consistently led the nation with the highest percentage and highest total number of uninsured people.

That distinction probably won’t change anytime soon, but Texas stands out in a different way right now – with a huge increase in the number of people who just signed up for coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Open Enrollment has just ended and the number of registrations in this state is off the charts.

A record 2,410,810 Texans received coverage this time through the ACA. This is almost 31% more than in the last registration period a year earlier. And to put that 31 percent growth in Texas into perspective, it was a record year for filings across the country, but numbers for the entire country rose by just over 12%.

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, as of the reporting period for the week immediately before the end of open enrollment in mid-January: “The median monthly premium in Texas was $581. Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, the average monthly Advance Tax Credit (APTC) in Texas was $514, bringing the average monthly premium after APTC to $66.”

Registration is closed, but you can still register if you have special circumstances, and over the next few months, we may see an unprecedented number of people qualify for the special circumstances of losing their current coverage.

And here’s why: during the pandemic, the federal government wanted to insure as many people as possible, so the US government increased state funding. The only catch to get the extra money: States had to agree not to exclude anyone from Medicaid until the end of the pandemic. Well, we’re getting close to it.

Beginning in April, states can begin the process of removing people from Medicaid and CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) if states decide they no longer qualify.

Those who will be excluded from Medicaid or CHIP in the coming months may be able to get coverage under the Affordable Care Act due to the special circumstances of losing coverage, but they will only have a limited time to sign up for a plan under the ACA . .

Top estimates say it could affect 14 to 15 million Americans. We do not know how many Texans may be excluded from the school, but at last count there were 5,712,355 Texans in the program. Medicaid and CHIP.

In the coming months, the State will review eligibility for Medicaid or CHIP recipients. Be sure to look for correspondence from the state by mail, email, or text, depending on how they have communicated with you in the past. You can also take the initiative and go online to verify your eligibility. Click here for more state advice.