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Letter to Alex Azar, Secretary of Department of Health and Human Services - Spanberger Calls on Administration to Open ACA Special Enrollment Period to Combat Pandemic

Letter

By: Ruben Gallego, Mike Thompson, Jackie Speier, Ted Lieu, Mark Takano, Alan Lowenthal, Scott Peters, Jason Crow, Jahana Hayes, Charlie Crist, Jr., Ted Deutch, Hank Johnson, Jr., Abigail Spanberger, Terri Sewell, Jared Huffman, Jerry McNerney, Ro Khanna, Norma Torres, Maxine Waters, Mike Levin, Diana DeGette, John Larson, Eleanor Norton, Kathy Castor, Raul Grijalva, John Garamendi, Barbara Lee, Adam Schiff, Gil Cisneros, Katie Porter, Juan Vargas, Joe Neguse, Rosa DeLauro, Stephanie Murphy, Alcee Hastings, Sr., Frederica Wilson, Bobby Rush, Mike Quigley, Brad Schneider, Joe Kennedy III, Jamie Raskin, Haley Stevens, Brenda Lawrence, Lacy Clay, Jr., Tom Malinowski, Xochitl Torres Small, Thomas Suozzi, Yvette Clarke, Paul Tonko, Marcy Kaptur, Brendan Boyle, Susan Wild, Lizzie Fletcher, Veronica Escobar, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, John Lewis, Chuy Garcia, Jan Schakowsky, Jim McGovern, David Trone, Dan Kildee, Rashida Tlaib, Dean Phillips, Chris Pappas, Bill Pascrell, Jr., Steven Horsford, Nydia Velázquez, Eliot Engel, Brian Higgins, Peter DeFazio, Mary Scanlon, Steve Cohen, Vicente Gonzalez, Joaquin Castro, Eddie Johnson, Filemon Vela, Jr., Jennifer Wexton, Derek Kilmer, Ron Kind, Dan Lipinski, Danny Davis, Bill Foster, Ayanna Pressley, Chellie Pingree, Debbie Dingell, Angie Craig, Emanuel Cleaver II, Albio Sires, Dina Titus, Gregory Meeks, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Joe Morelle, Earl Blumenauer, Dwight Evans, David Cicilline, Al Green, Sheila Jackson Lee, Sylvia Garcia, Marc Veasey, Donald Beyer, Jr., Suzan DelBene, Mark Pocan, Henry Cuellar, Colin Allred, Lloyd Doggett II, Gerry Connolly, Pramila Jayapal, Gwen Moore
Date: March 13, 2020
Location: Henrico, VA
Issues: Health and Health Care

Dear Secretary Azar:

We write to urge you to establish a Special Enrollment Period to be applicable to all Affordable Care Act Marketplace coverage, including those using healthcare.gov as well as state-based marketplaces, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many among the close to 30 million Americans living without insurance[1] and estimated 44 million who are underinsured[2] would benefit from such a declaration. As outbreaks emerge and community spread continues in the United States, our most vulnerable neighbors are those who lack comprehensive health coverage. Without that coverage, they are unlikely to seek treatment for COVID-19, leaving all in our community at risk.

You declared COVID-19 a public health emergency on January 31st. Responding to that emergency must include ensuring access to insurance coverage so patients can seek treatment for COVID-19. There is precedent for HHS declaring a Special Enrollment Period during an emergency. In 2017, HHS established a Special Enrollment Period for patients living in areas FEMA deemed eligible for assistance following Hurricanes Irma, Maria, Nate, and Harvey. Similarly, a Special Enrollment Period was established in 2019 for areas affected by Hurricane Dorian.

Providing an opportunity for more Americans to seek health coverage is an important step in assuring public health during this crisis. Without effective action, we are concerned that Americans will not be adequately protected against current and future coronavirus outbreaks. We look forward to your response.


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