This spring’s federal pandemic aid legislation included a provision that could reduce the cost of health insurance available under the Affordable Care Act, the decade-old program that has provided federally subsidized insurance to millions of Americans.
The extended deadline to sign up for the latest savings is Aug. 15.
The American Rescue Plan, signed into law in March, included a provision for a special enrollment period and additional savings, in particular to help people who lost jobs, income or insurance coverage due to the economic hit of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
A three-month extension in the sign-up deadline to Aug. 15 applies to people who are not currently participating in the insurance program and also those who are enrolled but could reevaluate their coverage and possibly save money or boost their coverage under the American Rescue Plan provisions.
The U.S. Department of Health and Social Services estimates the savings would reduce premiums on average by $85 per policy per month. Or, on average, one in four people could upgrade to a better plan with more coverage for the same or lower premiums than what they currently pay.
“It would be an excellent time for them to apply,” said Kate Govaars, with the PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center, which last week reminded Southeast residents to check out the potential savings.
As of February, almost 17,000 Alaskans had signed up for subsidized policies on the federal health care Marketplace, with an additional 63,000 Alaskans covered by Medicaid after the state several years ago accepted the federal offer of expanded Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act.
People can go to HealthCare.gov or call 1-800-318-2596 for more information.
Reader Comments(0)