New Executive Order for special enrollment of ACA Marketplace

[MichaelB]

Today the President is signing an executive order to reopen the ACA Marketplace for a special enrollment period of Feb 15 - May 15. Presumably this would be directed toward people having lost their jobs and coverage and were unable to sign up during the normal open enrollment. From the announcement https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing...ans-access-to-quality-affordable-health-care/

Based on this Executive Order, it is expected that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will open HealthCare.gov for a “Special Enrollment Period,” from February 15, 2021 – May 15, 2021. This Special Enrollment Period will give Americans that need health care coverage during this global pandemic the opportunity to sign up.

The EO also has a number of directives for other gov’t agencies regarding the ACA and health care. They are not specific policy measures so there’s no sense in discussing here (yet). They may happen or not, and if or when they do, we can then discuss, with our usual rigor and thoughtfulness.

 

[GTFan]

This is a head-scratcher to me - open enrollment just ended a little over a month ago.

I'm not sure what the purpose of even having an enrollment period is now. (I know what the stated purpose is, but not when it can be changed at any time). Not saying that this move is good or bad just don't understand the reasoning behind it.

Job loss was already cause for a special enrollment, no need for a fully open one.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

I scratched my head a bit as well as to why this was necessary since loss of employment is indeed grounds for using a special enrollment period.

Then I realized, perhaps there are people out there who lost their job more than 60 days ago who are/were not aware of the ACA option and now would have missed their window of opportunity to get a plan. Most of us on this forum are well aware of it, but there are a lot of uninformed individuals out there in this country. And the previous administration also took measures to minimize the marketing promotions of the ACA option.

I think that's probably enough reason to open it back up. I see that it's not a permanent re-opening.

 

[rodi]

My thinking is the same as Paunchy Pirate (great user name, btw). Most people are fairly unaware of insurance stuff. I'll put my son in that category. When he first started his job he told them he didn't need insurance (because he has it through me.) When I found out I explained to him that he should get it through work. Then he 'didn't see' or missed the open enrollment back in November.... Clueless doesn't even begin to describe him when it comes to this stuff.... There are a LOT of people like him.

 

[ivinsfan]

I wonder if they will release the number of new signups under this order. I'll be interested to see how many people avail themselves of it.

 

[ivinsfan]

My thinking is the same as Paunchy Pirate (great user name, btw). Most people are fairly unaware of insurance stuff. I'll put my son in that category. When he first started his job he told them he didn't need insurance (because he has it through me.) When I found out I explained to him that he should get it through work. Then he 'didn't see' or missed the open enrollment back in November.... Clueless doesn't even begin to describe him when it comes to this stuff.... There are a LOT of people like him.

Fair enough, but should the clueless are going get clued in just because someone new is in the WH.. from what I've seen clueless is a permanent condition.

 

[travelover]

Fair enough, but should the clueless are going get clued in just because someone new is in the WH.. from what I've seen clueless is a permanent condition.

I think you are heading into a political discussion which was not why Michael started this thread.

 

[ivinsfan]

I think you are heading into a political discussion which was not why Michael started this thread.

Oh, not what I meant at all, I mean they need to disseminate more info about sign up. I could have said what would be different in February then in January. If the issue is that people are not informed if that doesn't change we won't get new signups. It doesn't really matter who is at the head of government, if people don't know what they don't know.

Should they perhaps send emails or letters to everyone getting UI...that might help.

 

[MichaelB]

This new enrollment period is 90 days and covers the 36 states that use the federally run marketplace. States with their own healthcare insurance marketplaces are free to do the same, but not obligated.

Sarah Kliff wrote about this in the NYT “The Upshot” https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/28/upshot/biden-obamacare-enrollment.html
She posted this in her twitter “ I wouldn't expect a huge number of sign-ups through the new enrollment period. When states did something similar last year, the results were modest.”

The NYT article also states “ The White House plans to run an outreach campaign with paid advertising and direct-to-consumer marketing.”

 

[foxfirev5]

IMHO this only covers those that chose to ignore ACA and never had insurance in the first place. If you can provide evidence to the contrary I'm interested.

 

[pb4uski]

I was skeptical of this whole special enrollment period as well given that the normal open enrollment period recently ended (December 15th?) and you get a special enrollment period if you lose your job. OTOH, there was no promotion of the usual ACA annual open enrollment period that I recall and where in other years ACA enrollment might have been news, this year it got drowned out by news of the election, covid, etc.

Bottom line, I don't see it hurting much or helping much so why not.

 

[aaronc879]

I was skeptical of this whole special enrollment period as well given that the normal open enrollment period recently ended (December 15th?) and you get a special enrollment period if you lose your job. OTOH, there was no promotion of the usual ACA annual open enrollment period that I recall and where in other years ACA enrollment might have been news, this year it got drowned out by news of the election, covid, etc.

Bottom line, I don't see it hurting much or helping much so why not.

I also don't see a large number of new sign ups happening but if any unemployed people or new gig workers sign up for it then it's worth it. They just need to be made aware of it. Most people always got their insurance from work so don't know how ACA works.

 

[zinger1457]

One would think that if people really understood that they could get heavily subsidized or free health insurance after losing their job then more would have signed up. We could debate what they should have known or what they should have been told but if it helps to get those that lost their job because of covid some kind of healthcare coverage I don't see a problem.

 

[Aerides]

Bottom line, I don't see it hurting much or helping much so why not.

That's the key for me. For all they "well they shoulda coulda woulda" - I mean where's the harm if the door is opened back up for a little while?

For every person who knew better, could afford it 2 months ago but ignored it, but now gets to join, there are likely a couple more who didn't, couldn't, and didn't, and are glad for the opportunity.

 

[foxfirev5]

That's the key for me. For all they "well they shoulda coulda woulda" - I mean where's the harm if the door is opened back up for a little while?

For every person who knew better, could afford it 2 months ago but ignored it, but now gets to join, there are likely a couple more who didn't, couldn't, and didn't, and are glad for the opportunity.

For those that actually take the imitative and sign up I'm all for it. How many is the question. In other words is this a moot point?

 

[aaronc879]

I think there is so much talk about how unaffordable health isurance is that a lot of people don't realize it is very affordable for low income people. If you are unemployed or underemployed and make <$20K/yr then it's quite cheap. In 2020 my MAGI was around $14K. I claimed an income of $15K and paid a premium of $28/mo with $500 deductible and $500 out of pocket max. When I do taxes I will even get a little money back because I made $14K instead of the $15K estimate. In 2021 my estimate is again $15K and this time I have a $0 premium, $0 deductible and $1200 max out of pocket. Very affordable. I don't think many people know it can be cheap for a lot of people.

 

[NYEXPAT]

My family will be moving to the USA in a few weeks. While I have Medicare, my YW and kids do not. I am happy that this is bieng done!

 

[Dtail]

I was skeptical of this whole special enrollment period as well given that the normal open enrollment period recently ended (December 15th?) and you get a special enrollment period if you lose your job. OTOH, there was no promotion of the usual ACA annual open enrollment period that I recall and where in other years ACA enrollment might have been news, this year it got drowned out by news of the election, covid, etc.

Bottom line, I don't see it hurting much or helping much so why not.

+1
What harm could it have?

 

[aaronc879]

My family will be moving to the USA in a few weeks. While I have Medicare, my YW and kids do not. I am happy that this is bieng done!

Change of address is a qualifying life event so they wouldn't need this new special enrollment.

 

[CardsFan]

My family will be moving to the USA in a few weeks. While I have Medicare, my YW and kids do not. I am happy that this is bieng done!

Curious. Would not the move itself create a special event that would allow sign-up? I don't know the answer to this. Curious if others do.

 

[aaronc879]

Curious. Would not the move itself create a special event that would allow sign-up? I don't know the answer to this. Curious if others do.

As long as their current coverage is not available at their new location. I assume that is the case if they are changing countries.

 

[truenorth418]

I thought I would have been useful a year ago at the beginning of the pandemic and the lockdowns when so many were thrown out of work and may have benefitted from a special enrollment. I had just arrived in the US from overseas and would have loved the option for ACA coverage. Is there as much need for this open enrollment now? Who knows.

 

[Montecfo]

It seems the stated purpose for reopening enrollment now would also be reasons for reopening it again on May 16.

 

[CardsFan]

It seems the stated purpose for reopening enrollment now would also be reasons for reopening it again on May 16.

And that would be..?

 

[SecondCor521]

As long as their current coverage is not available at their new location. I assume that is the case if they are changing countries.

Even moving to a new area within a state can result in a special enrollment. My daughter did this last year when she moved to the other side of the state to start college. I was able to get her new ACA coverage there and take her off my policy. I was also allowed to change my policy if I wanted to.