Report: CMS ‘Quietly’ Creating New Enrollment Period For Immigrants’ Health Plans
Friday was the deadline for the government to receive paperwork verifying the immigration status of nearly a quarter of a million newly naturalized citizens or immigrants, who could lose Affordable Care Act's subsidized coverage.
Inside Health Policy: CMS Quietly Creates New Enrollment Window For Those With Unresolved Inconsistencies
One special enrollment period applies to consumers who can attest that they tried to submit their documents by the deadline and for whom eligibility can be verified. People falling under that category have 60 days to select a plan, and coverage would be retroactive to the date after their plan was terminated. A second window is available for those who cannot attest that they attempted to send in documents by Sept. 5, but who do submit the needed documentation within the two-month window. ... The guidance says the special enrollment periods are intended to accommodate time lags due to the mailing and processing of documents (Lotven and Pradhen, 9/5).
Earlier coverage:
The Wall Street Journal: Thousands Risk Losing Health Coverage, Immigrant Advocacy Groups Warn
Up to 310,000 people risk losing coverage obtained through the Affordable Care Act unless they provide documents verifying they are U.S. citizens or legal residents, according to government data. The Obama administration on Aug. 12 said consumers who hadn't responded to previous requests for the information would have to provide it by Friday or lose coverage at the end of the month (Armour, 9/4).
Politico Pro: Deadline Day for Obamacare Immigration Check
As of last Thursday, only 70,000 people had responded, according to the latest figures released by CMS. “We do think that possibly hundreds of thousands of people who are eligible are going to lose their coverage,” said Angel Padilla, a health policy analyst with the National Immigration Law Center. The group has been calling on CMS not to terminate anyone’s coverage until the agency fixes its own tech problems. “A lot of these people have tried multiple times, and it’s just a problem with the processing of these documents,” Padilla said (Norman and Wheaton, 9/5).
Marketplace: Many Immigrants May Lose Health Insurance Under The ACA
Sonya Schwartz with the Georgetown Health Policy Institute also faults a lack of thorough planning. Why, she wonders, were most notices in English? ... The federal government says it has whittled down immigration cases by nearly 75 percent. Even if the deadline passes, Schwartz has a piece of advice for anyone who has received a notice: “When in doubt, submit your paperwork again.” (Gorenstein, 9/5).
Arizona Republic: Nearly 6,000 Arizonans Could Lose Affordable Care Act Coverage Over Immigration Status
Counselors and outreach workers who help consumers secure Affordable Care Act coverage are making a last-minute effort to reach 5,700 Arizona residents who must resolve questions about their citizenship or risk losing their health insurance. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services last month sent notices to 6,600 Arizonans informing them they must address discrepancies about their citizenship by Friday or they would lose health coverage by Sept. 30 (Alltucker, 9/4).
Kansas Health Institute News Service: Health Insurance Marketplace Seeks Citizenship Confirmation From 1,800 Kansans
CMS administrator Marilyn Tavenner said her agency had attempted to contact the 310,000 people in question and would continue to do so through Friday's deadline (Marso, 9/4).