On Friday, the White House announced it was ending outreach on enrolling in health insurance through www.HealthCare.gov .

Open enrollment lasts through Jan. 31, and has traditionally been a time when interest in coverage surges.

Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-05), whose district includes a portion of Lake County, condemned the action.
 
“It is irresponsible to try to keep Americans in the dark about enrolling in health insurance,” said Thompson. “Regardless of whether the president wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act, it remains in place. Americans have a right to know when open enrollment ends and how they can get coverage before the deadline. To pull the plug on outreach we have already paid for is both a waste of money and a callous disregard for men, women, and families in need of health care.”
 
In the three years since the marketplaces launched, the final day of enrollment has been the second-biggest day of enrollment – topped only by Dec. 31, the deadline for people seeking coverage effective Jan. 1.

The last week of January traditionally draws younger enrollees, who often wait until the last minute to sign up.
 
For this reason, United States Department of Health and Human Services had planned a major advertising campaign specifically aimed at younger adults – which is now being halted.

A drop in younger enrollees could result in the risk pools in the marketplaces being less healthy, driving up future premiums.
 
As of Dec. 24, more than 11.5 million people nationwide had signed up for 2017 federal marketplace plans, an increase from 2016, according to a report released earlier this month by the Department of Health and Human Services.
 
In California, outreach and marketing is coordinated through Covered California, and will continue as planned.

Since enrollment opened in November, 1.3 million people have renewed coverage in California, and more than 300,000 have signed up for the very first time, according to officials with Covered California.

California residents can still sign up for health insurance at http://www.coveredca.com/ .