8.8 million enroll on health insurance exchange

Nearly nine million people signed up for health care insurance through the Affordable Care Act for next year, according to an administration official. That figure is only slightly less than last year's total.

Approximately 8.8 million people enrolled for 2018 coverage during the six-week open enrollment period that ended Dec. 15, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma said in a tweet Thursday.

More than four million of those enrollees signed up for insurance in the final week of open enrollment, according to the CMS.

Of the total 8.8 million, more than six million are people renewing their coverage from last year, according to CMS. The remaining two million are new to the exchange.

In Iowa, CMS reported 53,548 signed up on the exchange for 2018, including those renewing their plans as well as those new on the exchange.

This year's national number is an estimate, as residents in nine other states and the District of Columbia still have time to sign up for plans on the federal exchange.

In addition, federal officials also have granted a special enrollment period through Dec. 31 for several states, including those affected by Hurricanes Harvey, Maria or Irma.

Officials' estimate was just below last year's sign up of 9.2 million, despite the federal changes to this year's open enrollment period. People had a shortened window to enroll on HealthCare.gov and funding for outreach for the program was cut by the Trump administration.

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