WASHINGTON, D.C.–Recently, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra announced that more than half a million consumers have already signed up for health insurance through HealthCare.gov as a result of the Biden Administration’s Special Enrollment Period (SEP) for the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. The SEP, along with the additional financial assistance afforded by the American Rescue Plan (ARP), offers the opportunity for individuals and families to take advantage of significantly reduced premiums, increased savings, and quality, affordable health coverage through the Marketplaces using the federal platform.
The report from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which covers plan selections from February 15 to March 31, also shows gains in enrollment among historically uninsured communities, including Black consumers and Americans near the poverty level. Of applicants who identified a race, 17 percent identified as Black – compared to about 11 percent in both 2020 and 2019 during the same time period. Among consumers requesting financial assistance, 41 percent report being at or slightly above the federal poverty level, compared to 38 percent in 2020 and 33 percent in 2019.
Nearly 15 million Americans who currently lack health insurance, and many current enrollees, are eligible to receive additional financial support in obtaining Marketplace coverage as part of the ARP. An average of four out of five consumers currently enrolled in Marketplace coverage can now find a plan for $10 or less per month after financial assistance.
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The 2021 SEP is available to consumers in the 36 states with Marketplaces that use the HealthCare.gov platform through August 15, 2021.
For more information on the March enrollment report, visit: www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/2021-marketplace-special-enrollment-period-report-0.
For more information about the Health Insurance Marketplace®1, visit: https://www.healthcare.gov/quick-guide/getting-marketplace-health-insurance/.
For more information about the American Rescue Plan and the Health Insurance Marketplace®, visit: https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/american-rescue-plan-and-marketplace.