HHS has ‘slammed on the brakes’ with ACA outreach

Groups which have previously partnered with HHS to promote open enrollment on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchanges say there have been no signs that work will continue in the first enrollment period under President Donald Trump.

The administration first made an impact towards the end of the last sign-up period, pulling advertisements for the federal Healthcare.gov marketplace just before the Jan. 31 deadline to purchase coverage, a time when many younger, healthier customers enrolled. That decision was later blamed for the lower-than-expected enrollment for 2017.

For the 2018 enrollment period, Talking Points Memo reports HHS has “abandoned” outreach and education work done by organizations since the ACA exchanges opened. This includes work done by groups not politically aligned with Republicans and the administration as well as non-partisan, religious and medical organizations.

“It feels like someone has slammed on the brakes and we’re all lurching forward,” said Amanda Hooper, the director of engagement and mobilization with the National Women’s Law Center. “It’s completely night and day—working with an administration that’s invested in the ACA and getting people covered and the Trump administration, which is actively working to take healthcare away from millions of people. It’s a stark, stark contrast.”

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