Biden touts increase in sign-ups for health care

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said Tuesday that 1 million Americans had signed up for health insurance under “Obamacare” during a special enrollment period for those needing coverage during the coronavirus pandemic.

Biden reopened the HealthCare.gov insurance markets in February for a special six-month sign-up opportunity that will go through Aug. 15. His coronavirus relief package also boosted taxpayer subsidies, making the coverage a much better deal for new and current customers.

“Health care is a right, not a privilege — and ensuring that every single American has access to the quality, affordable health care they need is a national imperative,” he said in a statement.

Biden has promised to build on President Barack Obama’s Affordable Health Care Act to push the U.S. toward coverage for all. He said the law known as Obamacare has been “a lifeline for millions of Americans” since it became law more than a decade ago.

Biden said the U.S. had made “enormous progress” in expanding access to health insurance through this special enrollment period.

However, the 1 million figure announced Tuesday by the White House also includes people who would have otherwise qualified for a sign-up opportunity, even without Biden’s special enrollment period.

A life change such as losing workplace coverage or getting married is considered a “qualifying life event” that allows people to sign up any time.

Last year about 390,000 people signed up because of life changes from Feb. 15 to April 30, the government said. So the net number of new customers who could not have enrolled this year but for Biden’s action is likely lower than 1 million.

The number of uninsured Americans has risen because of job losses due to the economic hit of the coronavirus, but last year President Donald Trump’s administration resisted calls to authorize a special enrollment period for people uninsured in the pandemic.