Special ACA Enrollment Extended Until Aug. 15

Modern Healthcare: CMS Extends Open Enrollment Period Until Aug. 15
The Biden administration on Tuesday extended the exchange special enrollment period until Aug. 15, giving consumers in 36 states three more months to signup for coverage through HealthCare.gov. According to CMS, the change will allow more people to take advantage of greater financial assistance for marketplace plans under the American Rescue Plan. President Joe Biden signed the bill into law earlier this month. About 1 in 4 people who enroll in coverage through the federal website will be able to upgrade to a plan with lower out-of-pocket costs or a lower premium than their current plan, the agency said. Consumers can cash in on the additional savings starting April 1. (Brady, 3/23)

The Wall Street Journal: Biden Administration Extends Enrollment Period For Affordable Care Act
The Covid-19 aid legislation eliminates the income cap that limits who is eligible for ACA tax credits to reduce monthly insurance premiums. It also limits the amount households pay to only 8.5% of their income on healthcare, and boosts subsidies to lower-income consumers. With the increased subsidies, costs will come down for many who buy ACA-compliant plans. For a 60-year-old with a $55,000 income, premiums will drop by around 50% to 80% depending on the plan, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation analysis. (Armour, 3/23)

USA Today: Obamacare Enrollment Period Extended For Health Insurance Subsidies
The package increased the subsidies already available to people who don't receive health insurance from an employer or through a government plan like Medicare or Medicaid. And it made the subsidies newly available for people earning more than four times the federal poverty level, which is about $51,520 for a single person. Premiums will decrease an average of $50 a month per person, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. But some people could save hundreds of dollars each month. (Groppe, 3/23)

In related news —

MarketWatch: The New COVID Relief Bill Has Slashed Obamacare Health-Insurance Premiums — That’s Good News For Early Retirees
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 is a sweeping piece of legislation signed into law on March 11. ... The act also substantially changes health-insurance premiums and subsidies for Marketplace plans. This has gotten far less press. It may have a bigger effect on many who need to bridge the gap from employer-provided health insurance to Medicare. (Mamula, 3/23)

KHN: Democrats Gave Americans A Big Boost Buying Health Insurance. It Didn’t Come Cheap
When Democrats pushed through a two-year expansion of the Affordable Care Act in the covid-relief bill this month, many people celebrated the part that will make health insurance more affordable for more Americans. But health care researchers consider this move a short-term fix for a long-term crisis, one that avoids confronting an uncomfortable truth: The only clear path to expanding health insurance remains yet more government subsidies for commercial health plans, which are the most costly form of coverage. (Levey, 3/24)

KHN: Lots Of Health Insurance Help In Covid Relief Law — But Do Your Homework First
There’s something for everyone with private health insurance in the American Rescue Plan Act, but determining the best way to benefit may be confusing. The $1.9 trillion covid relief law that President Joe Biden signed this month will make coverage significantly more affordable for millions of people who either who have marketplace coverage, are uninsured or have lost their employer coverage. In addition, it will eliminate repayment requirements for premium tax credits. Consumers can begin to see those improvements next month, but they may need to go to healthcare.gov and update their application for the changes to take effect then. (Andrews, 3/24)

AP: Alternatives To Nursing Homes Get $12B Boost In COVID Bill
With the memory of the pandemic’s toll in nursing homes still raw, the COVID-19 relief bill is offering states a generous funding boost for home- and community-based care as an alternative to institutionalizing disabled people. Advocates hope the estimated $12.7 billion will accelerate what has been a steady shift to supporting elderly and disabled people and their overwhelmed families in everyday settings. But the money for state Medicaid programs, long in coming, will only be available over four calendar quarters this year and next. That’s raising concerns it will have just fleeting impact, and prompting calls for permanent legislation. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 3/24)