Release: Get America Covered Provides Five Fast Facts About the ACA’s Enrollment Period

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 15, 2021

PRESS CONTACT Erika Gulija erika@firesidecampaigns.com

DENVER — Today is the first day of the special enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This enrollment period provides the opportunity for Americans who missed the December deadline to obtain affordable health insurance. For many Americans, the ACA could mean the difference between life and death, especially during the pandemic. Laura Packard, executive director of Get America Covered, offers five key points for this special enrollment period.

1. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the greatest health insurance losses in American history. The special enrollment period for healthcare.gov starts on February 15, but you must enroll by May 15 for coverage this year. Sign up early and beat the rush!
2. Accidents happen and people get sick — especially during a pandemic. One trip to the emergency room could cost more than monthly rent. Health insurance protects you from the unexpected.
3. Free help is available to figure out the best options for your family and your situation. If you have questions about signing up, or want to talk through your options with a trained professional, free help is just a click away. Call 1–800–318–2596, visit localhelp.healthcare.gov, or make a one-on-one appointment today.
4. People who previously had job-based health insurance but lost it during the pandemic, or who never had insurance, may not realize that they are eligible for coverage with financial help. Nearly half of all uninsured adults have neither looked for information about Marketplace coverage nor tried to obtain Medicaid/CHIP coverage yet.
5. 28.9 million Americans were uninsured in 2019 — and that number is likely higher now due to the pandemic, yet more than half are eligible for Medicaid or financial help on the marketplace. (State specific numbers here.) About 15 million of the uninsured are eligible to buy coverage through the marketplace and about nine million of them qualify for free or reduced-cost monthly premiums based on their income. Go to healthcare.gov to find out if you qualify. The number of people eligible for financial help could increase even more if the COVID-19 relief bill before Congress keeps its current ACA expansion provisions for middle class families, and the incentives for 12 states to expand Medicaid to their lower income populations, and is signed into law.

“Thanks to efforts by President Biden and the administration as well as state-based marketplaces, millions of Americans have the opportunity to sign up for health insurance today. Now is the time to go to healthcare.gov and get covered, the life you save could be your own,” said Get America Covered Executive Director Laura Packard.

Get America Covered, a non-profit organization founded in 2017 by Obama administration veterans who ran outreach and public education for HealthCare.gov, is dedicated to helping Americans enroll and stay enrolled in health care coverage.

Laura Packard is the Executive Director of Get America Covered, and a stage IV cancer survivor. The ACA saved her life. If you’re interested in interviewing Laura Packard to learn why and how Americans should take advantage of the open enrollment opportunity, please reach out to erika@firesidecampaigns.com.

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