Plan withdrawals and rising premiums led to a sharp drop in individual and family major medical plan use in the first quarter, according to Mark Farrah Associates.
The Kennebunk, Maine-based research firm says the number of U.S. residents with individual and family coverage fell to 18.1 million, down 11% from the number recorded a year earlier.
The total number of people with some kind of public or private health coverage crept up 0.2% year over year, to 265 million.
(Related: Individual Health Enrollment Drops 3%)
Mark Farrah analysts base their health insurance enrollment numbers on data from health insurers and managed care companies' financial reports. The analysts use reports from carriers and health benefits industry sources to estimate the number of people in self-insured employer health plans.
The analysts estimate that enrollment in:
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Insured group health plans fell about 0.8%, to 60 million.
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Self-insured health plans fell 0.1%, to 119 million.
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Medicare, Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program plans managed by private insurers increased 6%, to 69 million.
Total enrollment in government program health plans of all kind, including plans managed by private insurers and government plans administered by the government, increased about 2% to 133 million.
Mark Farrah has posted a copy of the report here.
Officials at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services posted another report, on 2018 HealthCare.gov issuer participation applications, that suggests that the individual major medical enrollment could shrink again in HealthCare.gov states in 2018.
HealthCare.gov handles Affordable Care Act public health insurance exchange enrollment and account administration for the individual market in 39 states.
