Four million Americans dropped out of Affordable Care Act insurance marketplaces in their first month of coverage this year, largely for failing to pay monthly premiums.
The decline — far larger than in previous years — reflects the sticker shock felt by millions as premiums rose by double digits after congressional Republicans allowed for extra pandemic-era federal subsidies to expire in December.
Marketplace enrollment remains far higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic, but Democrats are likely to seize on the figures released Friday to blame Republicans for higher health care costs ahead of the midterms.