CMS cracks down on special enrollment periods

After using the special enrollment periods as a way to get more people signed up for Obamacare, the U.S.is now moving to address insurers concerns about the program.

“We will conduct an assessment of plan selections that are made through certain special enrollment periods to evaluate whether consumers properly accessed coverage”, Counihan wrote. Together with Get Covered Illinois, the state’s official Health Insurance Marketplace, the foundation will host a free daylong enrollment event from 10 a.m.to 6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 31, at Gateway Center, 1 Gateway Drive in Collinsville, giving procrastinators one last chance at securing coverage for 2016. “This includes the expansion of special-enrollment periods with no requirement of documentation or validation as in other guaranteed-issue markets”. “It’s to be expected those coming in throughout the year would have higher costs”.

Under the updated policy, CMS will eliminate six special enrollment period categories (O’Donnell, USA Today, 1/19).

Consumer advocacy groups, however, have said complaints about abuse of the enrollment periods are overblown and that most consumers don’t willingly skirt the rules.

America’s Health Insurance Plans, the industry’s largest lobbying group, supported the government’s decision but said it didn’t go far enough.

Enrollment assisters and outreach specialists throughout the state are available to help consumers during open enrollment season.

“While this is an important first step, more needs to be done to validate special enrollment requests”.

The grace period allows customers to have full coverage for a year, but only pay for nine months of it and receive their subsidies, all without facing a fine for not having insurance. Further, individuals who are no longer eligible to remain on their parents’ health plans also can enroll in exchange plans outside of the ACA’s open enrollment periods.

Insurance companies have expressed skepticism toward the viability of Obamacare’s exchanges. UnitedHealth has pointed to individuals who sign up outside the regular enrollment periods as being more costly to insure.