Enrollment for 'Obamacare' health care insurance reopens this Monday

Washington —The Affordable Care Act subsidized health plan marketplace opened Monday for a special three-month registration period as the Democratic-led Congress pushes through a financial relief package that could lower premiums. .

This enrollment period during the coronavirus pandemic is an early test of President Joe Biden's strategy to use the law known as 'Obamacare' as a stepping stone to health coverage for all.

Enrollment can be done on this government site.

Moving on a parallel track, the House Democrats' new bill attempts to counter the COVID-19 pandemic by offering a generous, albeit temporary, increase in benefits for people covered by the law.

"It's a hugely important move," said Katherine Hempstead, a representative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “The administration is doing more than just having open enrollment here, they are saying they want to make this coverage more affordable.”

While policy pundits like Hempstead are taking note, it's unclear how uninsured Americans will respond. Former President Barack Obama's health care law has been in place for a decade, but surveys consistently show that many people who lack job-based insurance don't realize they may qualify.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that about 33 million people are uninsured this year.

Foundation Communities, an Austin, Texas, nonprofit serving low-income working people, program director Kori Hattemer said she has seen an increase in interest in the insurance plan.

Although the agency has not done extensive promotion, enrollment appointments have filled up quickly.

For people without health coverage, "this is probably your last chance to sign up for health insurance for 2021," Hattemer said.

One of those people is Jacklindy Barradez, a restaurant worker who has been unemployed since the start of the pandemic. Her husband held on to her maintenance job, but the couple and her two children do not have insurance. Barradez said that a friend told her about the health law and that she intends to take advantage of this opportunity.

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Without health insurance as the pandemic stretches into its second year, Barradez is restless. “We are not exempt from something happening to us,” she said in Spanish. "Not having the means to respond is extremely worrying."

The Biden administration is going the extra mile to try to sign up people like Barradez.

The HealthCare.gov site will accept applications through May 15, a period about twice as long as the annual open enrollment.

Across the country, people in the 36 states served by the federal HealthCare.gov marketplace will be able to apply. Additionally, most states that run their own markets are matching the federal effort, giving it the feel of a national campaign.

The lure for the uninsured could become much clearer if Congress increases premium subsidies as part of its next virus relief package.

"That would be a huge incentive to get people in the door," said Tara Straw, a health policy analyst with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which advocates for low-income people. More generous help would be available not just to new enrollees, but to all who are covered through the legal marketplaces.

According to Budget Center calculations, a family of four earning $50,000 a year would pay $67 a month in copay for a standard plan, instead of an average of $252 today, and would also qualify for help with deductibles and cousins.

Similarly, a single person earning $30,000 a year would pay $85 a month for a standard plan instead of the current $195.

Obama's health law now covers more than 20 million people through a combination of subsidized private plans and, in most states, expanded Medicaid.

Experts agree that job losses during the pandemic have led to more uninsured people, but it's not clear how many more. Some estimates range from 5 million to 10 million, while the Congressional Budget Office suggests a lower number, more like 3 million.