The Biden administration is trying to give more Americans the opportunity to obtain health insurance saying they hope it will “help secure some peace of mind as we work to beat the pandemic and strengthen and build on the Affordable Care Act.” The special enrollment period on Healthcare.gov opens today and runs through May 15th.
In a statement, President Joe Biden said, “Health care is a right, not a privilege – and I will do everything in my power to ensure that all Americans have access to the quality, affordable health care they deserve. That is especially critical in the midst of a deadly pandemic that has already taken the lives of more than 470,000 of our fellow Americans and infected more than one out of every 12 additional Americans, often with devastating consequences to their health.”
President Biden signed an executive order late last night that allowed for the “Special Enrollment Period for uninsured and under-insured Americans.” The order states:
Over 30 million Americans remain uninsured, preventing many from obtaining necessary health services and treatment. Black, Latino, and Native American persons are more likely to be uninsured, and communities of color have been especially hard hit by both the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic downturn.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi issued a statement today saying this is “a lifeline for potentially millions during their time of need, protecting the health and financial security of those who have lost their health insurance through no fault of their own.”
“Access to health care is a matter of life-or-death, as our nation has tragically seen during the devastation of the coronavirus pandemic and economic crisis.”