What We’re Reading: Obamacare Enrollments Increase; Emergency Contraception Sales Surge; Menthol Ban Meetings

Obamacare Plan Enrollments Increased for 2024

Data released by CMS on Wednesday reported that more than 15.3 million Americans enrolled in health insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, for 2024, according to Reuters. CMS noted that this is a 33% increase from last year. However, the Biden administration projected that over 19 million people will enroll in 2024 through the ACA marketplace, but data released by HHS earlier this month showed that only nearly 7.3 million Americans have so far. Those who want to enroll can do so can any time before the deadline on January 16, 2024; coverage for Americans who enroll before the deadline will begin February 1, 2024, as those who wanted to be covered as of January 1, 2024, would have had to choose a plan by December 15.

Study Suggests Emergency Contraception Sales Will Surge in the New Year

A study published Wednesday in The BMJ found that emergency contraception sales in the United States may spike by around 10% in the new year, CNN reported. The researchers investigated this as New Year’s Eve gatherings have been associated with increased sexual activity and assault, along with decreased contraception access and use. To do so, they reviewed national marketing data on weekly sales of levonorgestrel, an over-the-counter contraceptive, between 2016 and 2022. Following New Year’s Day, the researchers found that product sales increased by 0.63 units per 1000 women, corresponding to an increase of almost 41,000 additional units sold in the United States in the week following New Year’s.

Top Biden Officials Met With Civil Rights, Public Health Leaders on Menthol Ban Delay

Top Biden administration officials met virtually with prominent civil rights and public health leaders in an informal meeting on Tuesday amid the decision to delay the menthol cigarette ban, according to The Hill. This meeting was not formally on the public schedule, but it was requested by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids after the delay was announced and after public health groups questioned why tobacco-affiliated groups and lobbyists were able to secure a meeting with top officials. The group’s President and CEO Yolonda Richardson added that they requested this meeting so that leading civil rights, public health, and medical organizations nationwide could express their overwhelming support for the ban.