The DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority Executive Board unanimously recommended to allow a special enrollment period for District residents to sign up for health insurance coverage from Dec. 16 through Jan. 31.
This action provides District residents a three-month open enrollment period of Nov. 1 through Jan. 31.
“Our first priority is protecting every opportunity for District residents to obtain affordable health insurance,” said Diane Lewis, chair of the Authority’s executive board. “The stabilization regulations provide state-based marketplaces this necessary flexibility, and an enrollment period from Nov. 1, 2017, through Jan. 31, 2018, is what we’ve planned for, what our customers expect, and what will work best for District residents.”
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final Insurance Market Stability regulation in April that shortens the upcoming enrollment period for HealthCare.gov to six weeks (Nov. 1 – Dec. 15).
CMS recognized that state-based marketplaces may want to have longer enrollment opportunities for their residents, and recognizing that a three-month open enrollment period works best for District residents, the executive board adopted the recommendation from its Standing Advisory Board.