The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has extended the Affordable Care Act’s open enrollment period this fall by one month.
The move will provide more time for Americans to sign up for healthcare coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic. The new open enrollment period will run from Nov. 1, 2021, through Jan. 15, 2022. The Biden administration previously created a special enrollment period earlier this year, during which time 2.8 million people signed up for healthcare coverage.
CMS also announced it was expanding services to help customers in underserved communities navigate their healthcare options, including benefits and rights, and enroll. The Federally-facilitated Marketplace (FFM) Navigators can help customers review different plans to find the best option.
In addition, CMS is re-launching its Champions for Coverage program, which includes more than 1,000 local organizations that provide outreach and education about the Health Insurance Marketplace, as well as how consumers can enroll in coverage through HealthCare.gov, Medicaid, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
“Today’s action to extend the Open Enrollment Period by a month, to continue our investment in local health care Navigators, and to establish a special enrollment period for many low-income people further demonstrates our commitment to connect families to coverage,” CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure said in a statement.
CMS made another change, by creating a new monthly special enrollment period targeting certain low-income individuals in Marketplaces through HealthCare.gov. Eligible customers can enroll in free or low-cost healthcare coverage. The Biden administration also added more subsidiaries to provide low-cost health insurance options in the American Rescue Plan.
Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."