Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
White House Shortens ACA Sign-Up Period, Boots Dreamers From Rolls
The Trump administration is shortening Obamacare’s annual open enrollment period and ending the law’s coverage of immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally as children, according to a final rule announced Friday. According to the rule, the federal open enrollment period will run from Nov. 1 through Dec. 31. Currently, federal open enrollment ends Jan. 15. States operating their own health insurance exchanges will have the flexibility to set their open enrollments, so long as they run no longer than nine weeks between the November and December dates. In addition to the shortened enrollment period, the administration said it is ending ObamaCare coverage for immigrants who came into the U.S. illegally as children, also known as “Dreamers.” (Weixel, 6/20)
Under the final rule, the CMS will end monthly special enrollment periods that allow individuals with incomes at or below 150% of the federal poverty level to sign up for coverage, arguing that these windows were used by some brokers and agents to improperly enroll people in ACA plans or switch them to different plans in a bid to secure higher commissions. The final rule will also require income verifications for individuals who receive premium subsidies and will put in place eligibility verifications for people who sign up during special enrollment periods. (Minemyer, 6/20)
Although cuts to the Medicaid and supplemental nutrition assistance programs (SNAP) are grabbing the headlines, Florida health care advocates worry that the changes to the ACA may be even more damaging. Florida leads the nation in Obamacare enrollment in 2025, with 4.7 million people enrolled in the marketplace, U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) data show. A key feature of the ACA is the marketplace through which people can use advanced premium tax credits to purchase subsidized health insurance. By contrast, there are 4.17 million people enrolled in Medicaid in Florida, the safety net program for the poor, elderly, and disabled. (Sexton, 6/20)
The Affordable Care Act faces significant rollbacks if President Trump’s big spending and tax cut bill is approved by the Senate. (6/19)
