The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has posted an update to its Health Insurance Exchanges Issuer County Map. This map is of projected issuer participation on the Health Insurance Exchanges in 2018 based on the known issuer public announcements through Sept. 13, 2017. Participation is expected to fluctuate and does not represent actual exchange application submissions.
This map currently shows that nationwide 63 counties are projected to have no issuers, representing over 70,000 Americans in these counties that could be without coverage on the exchanges in 2018. It is also projected that 1,472 counties — over 45 percent of counties nationwide — could have only one issuer in 2018. This could represent more than 2.6 million exchange participants with only one health insurance option, which means they will not have any choices.