Trump rejects Obamacare special enrollment period amid pandemic
President Donald Trump and administration officials recently said they were considering relaunching HealthCare.gov.
www.politico.com
The Trump administration has decided against reopening Obamacare enrollment to uninsured Americans during the coronavirus pandemic, defying calls from health insurers and Democrats to create a special sign-up window amid the health crisis.
President Donald Trump and administration officials recently said they were considering relaunching HealthCare.gov, the federal enrollment site, and insurers said they privately received assurances from health officials overseeing the law's marketplace. However, a White House official on Tuesday evening told POLITICO the administration will not reopen the site for a special enrollment period, and that the administration is "exploring other options."
So if you recently lost your job/got married/had a kid, you still have the opportunity to sign up. Or if you live in one of the blue states that re-opened their enrollment, you can sign up. But if you were uninsured going into this Coronavirus mess and haven't yet had a "qualifying event" in your life recently, you're on your own.Obamacare's annual enrollment period closed months ago, although people who lost jobs or experienced other life changes are already eligible for special enrollment period under the law. A more expansive special enrollment period for HealthCare.gov could have extended the opportunity for millions of more uninsured Americans to seek out coverage.
Numerous Democratic-leaning states that run their own insurance markets have already reopened enrollment in recent weeks as the coronavirus threat grew. The Trump administration oversees enrollment for about two-thirds of states.
Trump confirmed last week he was seriously considering a special enrollment period, but he also doubled down on his support of a lawsuit by Republican states that could kill the entire Affordable Care Act.
The states that re-opened their enrollment programs, from this article last week:
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- Nevada
- New York
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Washington
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