Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule to shorten the Affordable Care Act enrollment period, stop monthly enrollment periods for lower-income families, and add miles of red tape to prevent hard-working Americans from obtaining affordable coverage. This means up to 2 million Americans could lose life-saving coverage, according to CMS. At the same time, Republicans in Congress are marching forward with their big, ugly bill that makes the largest health care cuts in history. These coordinated attacks are deliberate efforts to dismantle the ACA piece by piece, all at the expense of hard-working families across the country.
Politico: RFK Jr. Is Making It More Difficult To Enroll In Obamacare
- “The Trump administration is tightening eligibility for Obamacare coverage in what it says is a bid to combat a ‘surge of improper enrollments’ and to lower insurance costs broadly. Critics say the rule changes will cause eligible people to miss out on a chance at subsidized health insurance and increase the uninsured rate… CMS estimates about 725,000 to 1.8 million people will lose coverage as a result of the final rule. In January, CMS said about 24 million people had signed up for Obamacare coverage for 2025.”
Axios: Trump Admin Shortens ACA Enrollment Window
- “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… 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.”
Bloomberg: Trump Administration’s New Rule Will Limit Obamacare Enrollments
- “Trump administration officials on Friday finalized regulations aimed at making it more difficult to enroll in health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. The rules will limit the time frame for people to sign up for health insurance through the exchanges and cancel a monthly opportunity for people with incomes below 150% of the federal poverty line to enroll, among other changes.”
The Hill: Trump Administration Makes Sweeping Changes to Obamacare, Ends ‘Dreamer’ Coverage
- “According to the rule, the federal open enrollment period will run from Nov. 1 through Dec. 31. Currently, federal open enrollment ends Jan. 15. States operating their own health insurance exchanges will have the flexibility to set their open enrollments, so long as they run no longer than nine weeks between the November and December dates.”
Modern Healthcare: CMS Tightens Exchange Enrollment Rules
- “The regulation, which CMS proposed in March, shortens the open enrollment period, cancels a rolling special enrollment period for low-income people and institutes stronger income verification processes for subsidy applicants. The regulation is the latest step in President Donald Trump and Health and Human Service Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s efforts to reshape the insurance marketplaces. It also aligns with a broader campaign to limit spending in federal health programs. The Republican majority in Congress is pursuing similar goals.”
Daily Beast: Trump Changes Could Kick A Million People Off Obamacare
- “The Trump administration will make sweeping changes to Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage that could kick more than a million people off the rolls… CMS said the new policies will lower marketplace premiums by an average of 5 percent, saving $12 billion a year. However, between 725,000 and 1.8 million people are expected to lose coverage, CMS projections show.”
Bloomberg Law: Trump HHS Moves To Shorten Obamacare Enrollment Period
- “The rule continues an effort by the first Trump administration to limit access to, and funding for ACA coverage. The number of people with ACA coverage dipped during Trump’s first term, as the administration pulled back some on premium subsidies and tried to repeal the law.”
Healthcare Dive: CMS Slashes ACA Sign-Up Periods, Tightens Eligibility In Final Rule
- “Currently, 24 million Americans are enrolled in ACA plans — an all-time high, after the Biden administration made it easier and more affordable to sign up for the coverage. But that number is expected to shrink following implementation of the final rule. The CMS estimates between 725,000 and 1.8 million people could lose coverage in 2026 as a result of the policies, which significantly raise the burden of verification for financial assistance and shorten enrollment windows for ACA plans.”