Obamacare Special Enrollment for People Losing Medicaid
Obamacare sign outside of the Leading Insurance Agency, which offers plans under the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare), on January 28, 2021 in Miami, Florida.
Joe Radle | Getty Images
Millions of people in the US are at risk of losing Medicaid this year when coverage introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic expires in April.
To make it easier for these individuals to transition to other insurance coverage, the Department of Health and Human Services has announced a special Obamacare enrollment period.
People who lost their Medicaid coverage between March 31 and July 31, 2024 can apply for Obamacare outside of the regular enrollment period at: Health.gov if they live in a state served by the federal market, according to new HHS guidance.
Most states, 33 in total, use Health.gov as their insurance marketplace. The 17 states that operate their own marketplaces may have a special registration period, but are not required to do so.
Individuals who have lost Medicaid will not be required to provide any additional documents in order to purchase an Obamacare plan. The app will simply ask them if they have lost their Medicaid coverage.
Consumers have 60 days to choose a health plan after they apply. Once they choose a new plan, coverage will begin on the first day of the following month.
Generally, consumers must submit life-changing documentation to apply for health coverage outside of the open enrollment period, but HHS makes the process easier for those who lose Medicaid.
Medicaid enrollment has surged during the pandemic after Congress effectively barred state governments from excluding people from the program during the public health emergency.
Medicaid enrollment has increased 28% since February 2020 to almost 84 million as of September. according to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
In December, Congress passed a federal spending bill that separated Medicaid coverage from the public health emergency. States may begin to remove coverage for people in April if they no longer meet eligibility criteria or respond to requests for information.
HHS estimates that 15 million people will lose Medicaid coverage after pandemic protection ends. Eight million of them will have to switch to other forms of coverage, HHS estimates. But 6.8 million will lose Medicaid despite still being eligible for the program. according to HHS.
States must communicate in good faith with a person whose eligibility for assistance is considered by more than one means of communication.
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