Trump admin shortens ACA enrollment window
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The Trump administration on Friday narrowed the period to sign up for Affordable Care Act coverage and imposed other restrictions aimed at rolling back Biden-era flexibilities for the program.
Why it matters: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services expects the new policies to lower marketplace premiums by about 5% on average, and save taxpayers $12 billion next year.
- But between 725,000 and 1.8 million people are expected to lose coverage, per CMS's projections.
The big picture: Congress is considering codifying many of the same provisions in the massive GOP budget bill that's now in the Senate. That would make them much harder for a future administration to undo.
State of play: CMS is shortening the period for enrolling in marketplace insurance by two weeks, starting for plan year 2027. Federal exchanges will then be open for sign-ups from Nov. 1 through Dec. 31 of each year.
- It's also repealing the monthly opportunity started under the Biden administration for lower-income people to get marketplace coverage.
- The new rule limits plans' ability to cover gender-affirming care beginning next year.
- It also excludes Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients from obtaining ACA coverage.
CMS said the policies will ensure federal subsidies to offset the cost of ACA coverage only support statutory goals of the law.
Yes, but: In response to public comments, CMS is making several of its changes temporary.
- For plan year 2026 only, CMS will begin charging a $5 monthly premium for consumers who are automatically reenrolled in an ACA plan from one year to the next and would otherwise have fully subsidized coverage.
- Other changes concerning income verification for enrollees will also end after 2026.
Between the lines: Insurance losses from the new policy will be felt hardest in states where "erroneous and improper enrollment is most noticeable," including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah, CMS said.
