Access To ACA Coverage In The COVID-19 Crisis
Health Affairs July 1, 2020
Despite economic upheaval and a rising uninsured rate even before the pandemic, the Trump administration has declined to authorize a broad special enrollment period (SEP) for the 38 states that use HealthCare.gov. Although the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a new report showing that enrollment under existing SEPs is higher relative to prior years, it is not as high as it would be with a broad SEP. This post summarizes the new CMS report, highlights current coverage data, and discusses a new lawsuit that would require CMS to authorize a broad SEP in response to COVID-19.
New CMS Report On SEP Uptake
The uninsured rate has been on the rise since 2016, and nearly 31 million people...