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Patients insured through the federally operated health insurance marketplace will be automatically reenrolled in their current coverage if they fail to change their previous plan, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Sept. 2.
Participants in these Affordable Care Act plans will receive notices before open enrollment begins explaining how they can return to the marketplace and shop for additional assistance and new plans. Insurers will provide information regarding 2015 premiums and tax credits.
Marilyn Tavenner
If participants do nothing, they will be autoenrolled in the same plan as their 2014 plan year with the same tax credit. Open enrollment begins Nov. 15.
According to the final rule, participants whose 2013 tax returns indicate they have high income or did not grant marketplace administrators permission to access updated tax information will be autoenrolled without financial assistance if they don’t update their plan.
"We are committed to providing a simple, familiar process for consumers to renew their coverage next year," Marilyn Tavenner, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said in a statement. "Consumers should use this time to evaluate their health needs, browse other options, and see if they qualify for additional financial assistance. However, consumers who are happy with their plan and have no changes to their income or family situation can be auto-enrolled in their same plan next year, similar to how it is done in the employer insurance market today."
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