COVID SEP EXTENDED!
Earlier this week, HHS announced that the COVID Special Enrollment Period (SEP) will be extended from May 15 to August 15, 2021. The COVID SEP is ongoing as it began on February 15, and now consumers will now have an additional three months in which to enroll in coverage without needing to provide proof of a qualifying life event. To read more about this announcement and for links to the HHS press release and CMS fact sheet, check out our news item.
On Wednesday, we hosted a webinar entitled “COVID SEP – How is it different?”. This webinar addressed how the COVID Special Enrollment Period (SEP) is different from usual SEPs. It also explored the specifics of how the COVID SEP works and looked at what people with disabilities need to consider when selecting a health insurance plan. Finally, it also addressed the American Rescue Plan Act’s effect on the marketplace. The webinar has been archived and links to the slide deck and video recording can be accessed in our news item.
For more information about the COVID SEP, check out our other NDNRC posts:
- Blog post (2/19/21): How is the COVID SEP Different?
- News item (3/4/21): COVID SEP Enrollment Update
- News item (2/15/21): COVID SEP Begins Today!
- News item (1/28/21): New COVID SEP Announced
In an effort to highlight the COVID SEP, AAHD has a project with Community Catalyst and other partners in conducting outreach to educate individuals about health insurance enrollment through the ACA Marketplace and Medicaid. This outreach includes graphics like the one below which highlight the opportunity to enroll due to COVID. These graphics are available in the Community Catalyst Outreach Hub. You can also check out the social media toolkit Community Catalyst created for the COVID SEP.
As we mentioned above, our webinar this week addressed how the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) affected the ACA marketplace, and last week, we highlighted several resources on the ARPA related to the marketplace and Medicaid. The Georgetown University Center on Health Insurance Reforms has a new blog post on the enhanced premium tax credits available through the ARPA. Additionally, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities conducted a webinar on the ARPA. You can access the archives on their Health Reform: Beyond the Basics project website.
Did you know that 63% of individuals who are uninsured would be eligible for financial assistance if they enrolled in a health insurance plan through the ACA marketplace? This is up from 57% as a result of the additional assistance available in the ARPA. (Fact courtesy of Kaiser Family Foundation stat of the week.)
Previously, we reported on the No Surprises Act which was passed at the end of 2020 and addressed surprise medical bills. The Georgetown University Center on Health Insurance Reforms has issued an issue brief on the law’s provisions. You can read more about it in their blog post.
The American Association on Health and Disability (AAHD) is very concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on persons with disabilities. Now that vaccines are becoming more available, AAHD wants to understand the reasons for COVID-19 vaccination decisions among adults (18+) with disabilities. The purpose of the COVID-19 and Vaccine Survey for Adults with Disabilities is to understand the reasons adults with disabilities have or will take the vaccine, are not sure about taking it, or have decided not to take the vaccine. The average completion time for the survey is less than 10 minutes. The survey is now open using this link! If you want to read more, please check out our page on the AAHD website.
Archives of our weekly updates are available on the NDNRC website.