President Joe Biden has moved to expand the window for low-income Americans to join the Affordable Care Act program, also known as “Obamacare.” This move would likely support his campaign promise to expand former President Barack Obama’s health care plan.
Under a plan unveiled Thursday by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), tens of millions of individuals who were previously ineligible for Medicaid would have the opportunity to enroll for new coverage until Nov. 30. This is an extension from the original deadline of July 31 that was established for the special enrollment period.
All individuals seeking coverage via HealthCare.gov will be subject to the revised schedule, and officials are also urging state-run insurance marketplaces to implement the modification.
Patients who are no longer qualified for Medicaid or CHIP can switch to coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace thanks to an extension of the temporary special enrollment period that began immediately by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
The extension offers continuity of coverage for those transitioning from Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), aligning with the start of the next open enrollment period.
HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra emphasized the department’s commitment to programs such as Medicaid and CHIP, saying: “The actions we are announcing today, like those we have taken over the past year, demonstrate that HHS is committed to ensuring Medicaid and CHIP coverage for all who are eligible.”
He added, “We are helping those who will now qualify for Marketplace coverage obtain it.”
Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure of CMS echoed Secretary Becerra’s sentiments, emphasizing the importance the health care coverage for families, saying, “Protecting and strengthening access to health coverage in Medicaid, CHIP, and the marketplaces is a top priority.
“Today’s steps will help make sure more families stay connected to the health care they need to thrive.”
There is some indication that the provisions required by the COVID-19 pandemic have led to the reductions. During the public health emergency that concluded in May 2023, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act mandated continuous Medicaid enrollment.
During the pandemic, Medicaid enrollment increased by approximately 22 percent between February 2020 and December 2021, from 71.2 million to 86.7 million. As Medicaid resumed operations in the aftermath of the pandemic, the ongoing reductions signify an unwinding of those changes.
On the campaign trail, President Biden has lauded the record-breaking enrollment in Obamacare, which was in part fueled by legislation enacted by Democrats in 2021 that expanded the law’s subsidies.
In addition to pledging to expand health care access even more during his re-election, he has criticized his Republican opponent for implying he would “terminate” Obamacare once more.
Former President Donald Trump weighed in on health care in November of last year, saying in a post on Truth Social that he is “seriously looking at alternatives” to the 2010 Affordable Care Act if he is elected in 2024.
During his term in office, the ex-president attempted to repeal the law in 2017, but was blocked by the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).
“We had a couple of Republican senators who campaigned for six years against it, and then raised their hands not to terminate it,” he wrote, referring to the late senator. “It was a low point for the Republican Party, but we should never give up!”
In addition, the former president cited other concerns, including saying that the “cost of Obamacare is out of control, plus, it’s not good health care.”
