Pennie Hits 2025 Enrollment Record

Congress weighs future of expanded ACA tax credits

January 22, 2025

Pennsylvania’s health insurance marketplace Pennie recorded all-time high enrollment for 2025, but big questions about the future of the program hang in the balance.

On Wednesday, state health insurance officials announced the record-breaking open enrollment for this year, while emphasizing the key role expanded Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits played to help 90 percent of Pennie consumers pay for their coverage.

“The lower costs from the enhanced premium tax credits have been a game changer, allowing many Pennsylvanians to afford coverage for the first time,” Pennie’s Executive Director Devon Trolley said in a statement. “Without action to extend these tax credits, hard-working Pennsylvanians will be blindsided with higher healthcare costs.”

Here’s what you need to know:

• By the numbers:  Pennie open enrollment for 2025 was 496,661.
  • With the expanded tax credits, Pennie enrollment has grown by 47 percent in recent years, state officials said.
• Significant savings:  It’s estimated enrollees receiving tax credits could see an average premium increase of 81 percent if those subsides are not extended.
  • The savings total about $600 million annually, state officials said.
• Background:  During 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act included temporary subsides to help consumers afford coverage on state and federal marketplaces.
  • These enhanced subsides were extended as part of the Inflation Reduction Act to expire at the end of 2025.
• In the news:  In this story in MedCity News, HAP’s Jolene Calla, Esq., vice president, finance and legal affairs, discussed the future of expanded tax credits for ACA coverage and the pending debate in Washington, D.C.
• Quotable:  “Record marketplace enrollment means more Pennsylvanians today can seek no-cost preventive services, like important health screenings that save lives every day,” said Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Michael Humphreys. “Losing tax credits may mean 150,000 Pennsylvanians losing coverage and losing access to critical services because they need to instead prioritize growing home and grocery costs.”

Additional information about Pennie’s 2025 enrollment is available online. CMS released figures on national enrollment, which also reached an all-time high this year.