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1. Here's my weekly summary of health insurance news: https://www.healthinsurance.org/blog/2020/04/15/the-scoop-april-15-2020-edition/ A lot of it is related to COVID-19, but there's still other stuff going on too.
2. Uninsured people in 11 states and DC can sign up for health insurance right now (and if you're losing coverage, in any state, you can enroll in a new plan).
VT, RI, NV, & NY have extended their COVID-19 enrollment windows this week. CT's is currently slated to end on Friday.
VT, RI, NV, & NY have extended their COVID-19 enrollment windows this week. CT's is currently slated to end on Friday.
3. California's exchange has already enrolled 58k people during their COVID-19 special enrollment period (since 3/20). @charles_gaba has more about this: http://acasignups.net/20/04/14/california-coveredca-confirms-over-58k-have-enrolled-during-covid19-sep-so-far-3x-normal
4. Twelve governors have joined together in a letter to HHS, asking for a COVID-19 enrollment period in the states that use http://HealthCare.gov : https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/MIEOG/2020/04/13/file_attachments/1425515/ACA%20Special%20Enrollment%20Letter%204.13.2020.pdf GOP governors in NH & AZ have also asked HHS for the same thing.
5. Idaho has the only fully state-run exchange that hasn't opened a COVID-19 special enrollment period for uninsured residents. But they have relaxed their documentation rules for people who need to enroll b/c they're losing employer-sponsored coverage: https://www.hjnews.com/montpelier/op-ed-your-health-idaho-working-to-ease-access-to-health-insurance-amid-covid-19/article_5ac34d33-24a3-5223-86ca-75eda6c65364.html
6. Florida has enacted a law that eliminates the $1 million lifetime benefit cap on the state's Children's Health Insurance Program (Florida KidCare). So families that rely on the program no longer need to worry about hitting the cap and running out of benefits.
7. TODAY is the deadline to submit a comment on Oklahoma's Medicaid expansion proposal. Gov. Stitt wants to expand Medicaid in July, but then implement new rules next year that would cause people to lose coverage. Check out https://coverok.org/ & follow @CarlyPutnam for info!
8. Virginia's governor signed several pieces of health care reform legislation into law, including bills that get the ball rolling on the creation of a state-run health insurance exchange and bills that will sharply limit short-term plans as of July 2021: https://www.healthinsurance.org/virginia-short-term-health-insurance/#2020
9. But Virginia's governor did NOT sign bills that would have allowed self-employed people to join association health plans (likely would have been a non-starter w/ federal approval process too). He sent those bills back to lawmakers for reconsideration next year @cvillehlthcare
10. Although the Louisiana Association of Health Plans is challenging the state's COVID-related insurance mandates, they don't speak for all insurers. Aetna & WellCare have dropped out of the association over this, and Humana also opposes the legal challenge.
