Trump says he won’t open up Obamacare
What do people who lost their jobs do to get some health insurance?
President Donald Trump said “it doesn’t seem fair” people at a certain income level can’t get Medicaid, but he doesn’t plan to open a “special enrollment period” that would help people who lost jobs because of the coronavirus sign up for their health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.
What should a person suddenly jobless and without health care benefits do? And how can the administration prevent another health crisis within the pandemic?
Here are answers to other questions about individual health coverage amid the COVID-19 crisis:
I’m suddenly unemployed. Why can’t I sign up for health insurance?
You might be able to – it depends on where you live, your circumstances and whether Trump changes his mind about those special enrollment periods.
These sign-up periods were reserved for people who had major life changes, such as marriage or the birth of a child. But COVID-19 is life-changing for most of us, especially those out of work or ill.
In several states, you may be eligible to sign up for an ACA plan, but you must have lost employer-provided insurance. In many states, you will be able to sign up for Medicaid. If you live in these places and had insurance, you can sign up for a plan that is probably subsidized: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington state, as well as the District of Columbia.
Limitations abound.
“I understand the reality of why they shouldn’t have an open enrollment that could affect the market in the future, but my heart still wants to help everyone,” said Ronnell Nolan, CEO of Health Agents for American, an insurance broker trade group.
How would a special enrollment period help?
Consumers in those 11 states and the District of Columbia
can visit their respective insurance exchange for details on how to sign up for coverage.
“In the past, the only time people could sign up for an ACA plan was either during open enrollment or when a qualifying event occurs,” said Les Masterson, Insure.com’s managing editor. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, certain states are allowing any resident to sign up for an ACA plan, regardless of whether or not they previously had insurance.”
Even some states that use the federal marketplace asked the Trump administration to provide an open enrollment period.
In a letter March 25 to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey urged a special enrollment period to ease circumstances for consumers. Ducey, a Republican, cited the “substantial paperwork burden” for consumers who have been laid off and have a limited time to sign up for insurance under the ACA’s “qualifying event.”
The special enrollment period in eligible states will allow consumers to sign up for ACA plans without providing such documents. These periods are open for a limited time. In Vermont, for example, consumers must sign up for coverage by April 17.
Can I get Medicaid coverage?
Unlike Affordable Care Act plans, eligible consumers can sign up for Medicaid year-round.
A total of 36 states and Washington, D.C., expanded Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Most adults in those states who earn up to 138% of the federal poverty level – $17,236 per individual or $35,535 for a family of four – can sign up for coverage year-round.
Consumers in 14 states that chose not to expand coverage have more limited options under this program for low-income families. COVID-19 cases rapidly increased in Florida, which does not offer expanded Medicaid coverage. Texas, where the governor and Legislature rejected expansion, has the highest uninsured rate in the nation.
Simply being out of work is not the only requirement for Medicaid. Having trusts or other investments that earn income may make you ineligible.