Healthcare open enrollment for Missourians: Fewer options, less time to choose

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Open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act health exchange starts today.

President Trump recently signed an executive order that could offer an alternative to the exchange in the future. The order would allow small businesses to pool their purchasing power into associations that could bargain for cheaper premiums, and do so across state lines.

Dave Dillon with the Missouri Hospital Association says Trump’s order is not favored by health providers and insurers.

 

 

President Trump’s executive order won’t be in effect during the current open enrollment. It must go before a regulatory review before it’s implemented.

The enrollment period itself has been cut in half, from 12 to 6 weeks. Also, the website to shop for coverage will shut down from midnight until noon nearly every Sunday during enrollment. Dave Dillon with the Missouri Hospital Association thinks the shutdown is intended to make it more difficult to sign up on the exchange.

 

 

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services says maintenance outages are regularly scheduled every year during open enrollment. It says this year’s downtime is planned for the website’s lowest-traffic time periods.

Among other things, President Trump’s administration has cut advertising for the enrollment by 90 percent and downsized assistance from specialists.

 

 

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services says the advertising and assistance programs have been a waste of money, noting enrollment was down significantly in the last enrollment period.


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