New Executive Order for special enrollment of ACA Marketplace

[SecondCor521]

A potential harm is an increase in moral hazard.

Opening ACA marketplaces more frequently and for unusual circumstances now sets the precedent that this will happen more in the future. Maybe we will have longer open enrollments, more enrollment periods, or more qualifying events for special enrollment periods (there are already quite a few if one reads them all).

If a person thinks that they can not get insurance and can sign up anytime they need it, without regard to preexisting conditions and without lifetime limits, then they may elect to not buy it ahead of time. This effect might happen even if the person is not correct in their thinking - the incorrect thinking is enough to induce the behavior.

 

[HarveyS]

A potential harm is an increase in moral hazard.

+1

 

[ivinsfan]

I'm not the police of what is moral but I do know people still on ACA plans will pay more if selective enrollment starts happening.

 

[Montecfo]

And that would be..?

Exactly!

 

[Irishgirlyc58]

The last administration reduced the amount of time for open enrollment in addition to stopping advertising for open enrollment thereby causing a barrier to accessing health insurance.
Also, the special circumstance enrollment is more complicated and requires increased documentation which may be difficult to come by.
I think open enrollment should be done away with. It’s a scam established by the health insurance industry.

 

[ivinsfan]

The last administration reduced the amount of time for open enrollment in addition to stopping advertising for open enrollment thereby causing a barrier to accessing health insurance.
Also, the special circumstance enrollment is more complicated and requires increased documentation which may be difficult to come by.
I think open enrollment should be done away with. It’s a scam established by the health insurance industry.

I don't understand your comment.A lot of things in life are complicated, that doesn't mean they are scams.

 

[pb4uski]

The last administration reduced the amount of time for open enrollment in addition to stopping advertising for open enrollment thereby causing a barrier to accessing health insurance.
Also, the special circumstance enrollment is more complicated and requires increased documentation which may be difficult to come by.
I think open enrollment should be done away with. It’s a scam established by the health insurance industry.

Funny... within 3 paragraphs you went from spot-on to really questionable to off-the-rails.

Medical underwriting, pre-existing conditions and open enrollment are all related. You can have open enrollment if you want, but to have it you need to allow medical underwriting and limitations on coverage for pre-existing conditions. We tried that and it didn't work well at all.

If you want coverage for pre-existing conditions then you need to limit enrollment.

You could have both coverage of pre-existing conditions and open enrollment but most carriers would just stop writing health insurance and if any still did premiums would skyrocket to be more unaffordable than they are today.

 

[CoolChange]

Do we know yet if this special open enrollment period is going to work just like like regular open enrollment, allowing those with an ACA policy in place to re-shop for 2021 coverage?

 

[zinger1457]

Do we know yet if this special open enrollment period is going to work just like like regular open enrollment, allowing those with an ACA policy in place to re-shop for 2021 coverage?

According to a recently published CMS fact sheet it sounds like current enrollees will be able to make changes.
https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/2021-special-enrollment-period-response-covid-19-emergency

Current enrollees will be able to change to any available plan in their area without restriction to the same level of coverage as their current plan. In order to use this SEP, current enrollees will need to step through their application and make any changes if needed to their current information and submit their application in order to receive an updated eligibility result that provides the SEP before continuing on to enrollment.

 

[Irishgirlyc58]

Funny... within 3 paragraphs you went from spot-on to really questionable to off-the-rails.

Medical underwriting, pre-existing conditions and open enrollment are all related. You can have open enrollment if you want, but to have it you need to allow medical underwriting and limitations on coverage for pre-existing conditions. We tried that and it didn't work well at all.

If you want coverage for pre-existing conditions then you need to limit enrollment.

You could have both coverage of pre-existing conditions and open enrollment but most carriers would just stop writing health insurance and if any still did premiums would skyrocket to be more unaffordable than they are today.

Just because you don’t agree with what I said doesn’t mean I “went off the rails”
I stand by my statements.
Insurance companies can no longer deny people for pre existing conditions so I’m not sure what your point is.
But if they do what you state it is just one more reason for universal health care.

 

[pb4uski]

Just because you don’t agree with what I said doesn’t mean I “went off the rails”
I stand by my statements.
Insurance companies can no longer deny people for pre existing conditions so I’m not sure what your point is.
But if they do what you state it is just one more reason for universal health care.

You obviously don't get it at all... and you undeniably went off the rails and started talking nonsense. The reason that insurance companies can no longer deny people for pre-existing conditions is only because enrollment is not open.

If you had both no medical underwriting and open enrollment as you advocate, then there would be no need to buy insurance until you get sick... then once you are sick go out and buy a health insurance policy and essentially stick the insurance company (but actually everyone else who buys insurance) with your medical bills. It doesn't work... never has and never will... companies would just stop writing the health insurance rather than lose money writing it.

Employer group plans do not offer open enrollment at anytime for the same reasons.... if an employee misses signing up during their annual enrollment period then they have to wait until the next annual enrollment period... but I don't hear you villifying employer group health insurance.

You can certainly think that "open enrollment should be done away with"... that's the beautiful thing about the first amendment... any yahoo can have an opinion... the trick is defending your view and convincing others and you seem to be coming up short there.... just saying that "I stand by my statements" doesn't cut it... why should we listen to you? Sorry.

 

[ivinsfan]

Just because you don’t agree with what I said doesn’t mean I “went off the rails”
I stand by my statements.
Insurance companies can no longer deny people for pre existing conditions so I’m not sure what your point is.
But if they do what you state it is just one more reason for universal health care.

I don't think you have a good concept of the nuts and bolts of HI coverage..do you buy your car insurance after you have an accident.

 

[Irishgirlyc58]

But universal health care would do away with the whole open enrollment nonsense.
And a lot of other games insurance companies play with people’s lives.
I never excluded employer sponsored health insurance.
I have no reason to think you know what you are talking about anymore than you have a reason to agree with me.
The difference is you responded to my statements and I in turn responded to you.
Next time scroll on by.

 

[ivinsfan]

But universal health care would do away with the whole open enrollment nonsense.
And a lot of other games insurance companies play with people’s lives.
I never excluded employer sponsored health insurance.
I have no reason to think you know what you are talking about anymore than you have a reason to agree with me.
The difference is you responded to my statements and I in turn responded to you.
Next time scroll on by.

Last I checked we don't have universal health care,why even bring it up...

 

[Irishgirlyc58]

I don't think you have a good concept of the nuts and bolts of HI coverage..do you buy your car insurance after you have an accident.

Universal health care. I understand it quite well.
I don’t see how you equate someone’s health to car insurance.
Do you understand the difference?

 

[Irishgirlyc58]

Last I checked we don't have universal health care,why even bring it up...

Because I have opinions I’m not afraid to state.
Your opinion doesn’t bother me.
Why does mine upset you so?

 

[ivinsfan]

Universal health care. I understand it quite well.
I don’t see how you equate someone’s health to car insurance.
Do you understand the difference?

I understand when someone is deliberately going off topic and this thread had nothing to do with universal health care. No matter how many times you beat the drum for it, it doesn't exist in the US.

 

[Irishgirlyc58]

I understand when someone is deliberately going off topic and this thread had nothing to do with universal health care. No matter how many times you beat the drum for it, it doesn't exist in the US.

Ok. To me the topic was health insurance and the subject of universal health care belongs in that topic.
But then I’ve also found the “off topic” concept to be a little uptight.
Isn’t that how conversations in person go?

 

[ivinsfan]

Ok. To me the topic was health insurance and the subject of universal health care belongs in that topic.
But then I’ve also found the “off topic” concept to be a little uptight.
Isn’t that how conversations in person go?

No it was ACA reopening for open enrollment..but you certainly can start a separate topic about universal health care and it's pros and cons.

 

[pb4uski]

...I think open enrollment should be done away with. It’s a scam established by the health insurance industry.

Sorry, I thought that this thread was about open enrollment. If you want to debate universal health care, start a new thread and don't hijack this one.

The only other thing that I'll say is that if you think open enrollment is a scam then you don't understand how insurance works. I do. I worked in the industry.

 

[pb4uski]

Because I have opinions I’m not afraid to state.
Your opinion doesn’t bother me.
Why does mine upset you so?

Stating one's opinion is easy, defending one's opinion is more difficult and where you have fallen short.

 

[Irishgirlyc58]

Sorry, I thought that this thread was about open enrollment. If you want to debate universal health care, start a new thread and don't hijack this one.

The only other thing that I'll say is that if you think open enrollment is a scam then you don't understand how insurance works. I do. I worked in the industry.

Stating an opinion at the end of a response is not looking for a debate.

 

[pb4uski]

And if it had been some sort if sensible opinion then there would not have been any debate... but you can't come here and post nonsense and expect not to be challenged... if that is what you are looking for then this may not be the place for you.

 

[Gumby]

MODERATOR NOTE: The thread has been closed due to members getting into a useless pissing contest. That's too bad, because it was a timely topic. For everyone's information - 1) Please try to stay on topic. The ACA is the law we have. Arguing that it should be replaced by universal healthcare does nothing to further a discussion about the special ACA enrollment window, which was the actual topic. Start a new thread if you want to talk about something different; and 2) Please remember that we are among friends here. It is okay to disagree, but please confine the disagreement to the content of people's posts. Snarky comments about the posters themselves are unlikely to foster productive discussion.