Thousands in CT Respond to Health Insurance Open Enrollment; Feds Block Access to Residents of 38 States

The coronavirus pandemic has put a new spotlight on the seemingly endless national debate over the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which provides access to health insurance coverage for uninsured Americans. 

Most states (38) are part of the federal ACA; others have developed and continue to operate their own health care exchanges, as the debate has proceeded before, during and after passage by Congress, an affirming U.S. Supreme Court decision and legislation aimed at undercutting or eliminating ACA altogether.

Three interrelated and coronavirus-inspired actions of note this past week highlighted Connecticut’s status and the contrast with other states, the impact of employment changes triggered by coronavirus on individual health insurance coverage, and the perspective of state officials. 

First, Connecticut’s health insurance marketplace is continuing to enroll uninsured residents in health plans under a new special enrollment period that was created due to the exceptional circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. The special enrollment period, announced by Gov. Ned Lamont, began on March 19 and was initially scheduled to end on April 2.  More recently, it extended to April 17.  The regular annual enrollment period had concluded in January.

Since the additional enrollment period began, Access Health CT has processed 3,530 enrollments into qualified health plans. A total of 1,498 of those enrollments were made possible by the new special enrollment period offered in partnership with Connecticut’s health insurance companies. (This is in addition to 15,518 HUSKY plan enrollments during the same period in Connecticut.)

Coverage for anyone who enrolled during between March 19 and April 2 began on April 1. Anyone who enrolls between April 3 and April 17 will have coverage that takes effect May 1. Customers have also been reminded that anyone currently enrolled in qualified health plans through Access Health CT may be able to update their income and increase the amount of financial assistance for which they qualify.

Second, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong was one of 20 state attorneys general across the country last week to urge national officials for a special enrollment window on the federal insurance exchange.  That call came after officials in the Trump administration indicated that they were not planning to institute a special enrollment period.  Trump has opposed the ACA and supported efforts to eliminate it. 

“Millions of individuals have lost their jobs — and with their jobs, their ability to pay for healthcare,” the Attorneys General letter emphasized.   “No one should be without health insurance during a global pandemic,” Tong added.  “I join my colleagues around the country in urging the federal government to reconsider its decision and immediately open a special enrollment period on HealthCare.Gov.”

Third, Connecticut’s U.S. Senators - Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal – are among 26 Senate Democrats urging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to reopen the Affordable Care Act’s online marketplace to allow more un- and under-insured Americans to get health insurance as they face potential health issues related to COVID-19.

In a letter to the Secretary Alex Azar this week, the Senators urged HHS to allow Americans to enroll through a unique Special Enrollment Period (SEP) that should last throughout the duration of the pandemic in an effort to ensure comprehensive coverage for families and communities to protect themselves from COVID-related illness.

The senators wrote: “Currently, millions of Americans are uninsured and anxious, not only about what the possibility of contracting COVID-19 could mean for their health and that of their family, but also for their financial stability. Opening up the ACA marketplace would provide an easy pathway to coverage for those who under previous circumstances may have decided to forego health insurance or purchase a substandard, junk insurance plan, but now in a global pandemic are in vital need of comprehensive coverage to protect themselves, their families, and our broader community.”

The Senators letter points out that “all but one of the 13 state-based marketplaces have opened a (special enrollment period), with such high levels of interest that many are now extending the period by several weeks.” Connecticut among them.