The Trump administration is proposing to shorten ObamaCare’s annual open enrollment period by a month, a move the administration said is aimed at helping consumers pick the right plan.
According to a proposed rule released Monday, open enrollment would run from Nov. 1 through Dec. 15, instead of through Jan. 15.
“This proposal aims to reduce consumer confusion, streamline the enrollment process, align more closely with open enrollment dates for many employer-based health plans, encourage continuous coverage, and reduce the risk of adverse selection from consumers who otherwise may wait to enroll until they need health care services,” the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said in a fact sheet.
The sweeping rule gives a glimpse of how the Trump administration will handle the signature health law.
The move mirrors one made during President Trump’s first term, when he shortened open enrollment to seven weeks. He also slashed funding for advertising and outreach and allowed “skimpy” short-term plans on the market after he tried and failed to repeal the law. Open enrollment numbers dropped significantly.
Under former President Biden, there were a record number of people enrolling in Affordable Care Act plans. Last year, 24 million people chose plans during the most recent open enrollment period, mainly due to expanded tax credits that made plans available to people for little or no monthly premiums.
In addition to the shortened enrollment period, the CMS on Monday proposed ending ObamaCare coverage for immigrants that came into the U.S. illegally as children, also known as “Dreamers.” The proposal would undo a Biden-era rule that was estimated to allow 147,000 immigrants to enroll in coverage. A federal judge blocked the rule from being enforced in 19 states, and it is still being litigated.
The CMS also proposed that “sex-trait modification” may not be covered as an essential health benefit beginning in plan year 2026.
