Health Affairs March 3, 2021
On March 3, 2021, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its first enrollment snapshot for the COVID-19 special enrollment period (SEP) in the 36 states that use HealthCare.gov. This three-month SEP began on February 15 and was authorized following an executive order from President Biden. The SEP is broad, meaning any qualifying consumer can submit a new application or update an existing application to enroll in coverage through HealthCare.gov.
Enrollment through HealthCare.gov increased significantly relative to prior years, suggesting high demand for marketplace coverage in the midst of the pandemic. Overall, more than 206,000 consumers newly selected a plan in the first two weeks of the three-month SEP. This is more than three times as many consumers...