Preparing for a Rocky ACA Open Enrollment Period: What’s Changing and What’s Still in Limbo

As we approach the thirteenth annual Affordable Care Act (ACA) open enrollment period, consumers, assisters, and providers are preparing for significant changes that could affect how people enroll in coverage, what they will pay, and what their plans will cover. These changes are due to a combination of the federal budget reconciliation law (H.R. 1) that passed in July without including an extension an extension to critical marketplace subsidies, as well as the final marketplace integrity rule issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in June. Recent court challenges to the marketplace integrity rule have put some of the provisions that were slated to go into effect before and during open enrollment on pause, adding to confusion and uncertainty.

Read our latest Health Care in Motion to understand what’s changing this year and how assisters and providers can prepare clients for a bumpy open enrollment ride.