Despite numerous reports of the "closing" of the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) public health insurance exchanges/marketplaces on March 31, 2014, THEY'RE ACTUALLY STILL OPEN FOR BUSINESS! Media reports stating that "the exchanges are closed" are simply inaccurate. Much like group health insurance plans, ACA marketplace/exchange plans have two (2) enrollment periods:
- Open Enrollment - which ran from 10/1/13 - 3/31/14 in the inaugural year of the launching of the public marketplaces/exchanges. IMPORTANT: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced on March 26, 2014 that it would extend the open enrollment deadline for consumers to enroll in a public marketplace/exchange health insurance plan if they started enrollment before March 31 but weren’t able to complete the application by midnight.; and
- Special Enrollment - qualified individuals have another opportunity to obtain coverage both on and off the the public marketplaces/exchanges, on a guarantee issue basis, with all the other ACA related provisions (e.g., community rating, 10 essential health benefits, no pre-existing condition limits, etc.). Such an opportunity, referred to as a "special enrollment period" is triggered by one or more "circumstances", including, but not limited to the following: