TRENTON — Building on the Murphy Administration’s efforts to expand access to affordable health coverage, Governor Murphy signed legislation (A-674/S-1646) on June 30 creating the New Jersey Easy Enrollment Health Insurance Program to make it easier for residents to obtain health insurance through Get Covered New Jersey, the State's official health insurance marketplace.
“New Jersey has made great strides in ensuring more residents have access to affordable health insurance. More than 324,000 New Jerseyans signed up for health coverage through Get Covered New Jersey during the Affordable Care Act Open Enrollment Period—a record high in New Jersey,” said Department of Banking and Insurance Commissioner Marlene Caride. “I want to thank Governor Murphy for signing the New Jersey Easy Enrollment Health Insurance Program into law—this is another step forward that reduces barriers to health coverage. Enrolling more residents in health plans will lead to better health outcomes for New Jersey families.”
RECORD-SETTING 182,000+ ENROLL IN COVERAGE THROUGH MARYLAND HEALTH CONNECTION DURING OPEN ENROLLMENT
Uninsured Marylanders can enroll through the state tax form's Easy Enrollment or, if eligible, through Medicaid
BALTIMORE – Gov. Larry Hogan today announced that a record number of Marylanders enrolled for health coverage for 2022 in the annual open enrollment that just ended through Maryland Health Connection. The 182,861 enrollments marked a new record for the state-based health insurance marketplace, a 10% increase over the 2021 open enrollment total of 166,038.
Maryland was one of four state marketplaces, along with Colorado, New York and the District of Columbia, that extended their original open enrollment deadlines in response to the hospitalization surge driven by the Omicron variant of Covid-19. Maryland’s open enrollment was originally scheduled to run from Nov. 1, 2021 to Jan. 15, 2022, but was extended through February.
Last chance to shop and enroll in a 2022 health plan
(BALTIMORE) — Marylanders have less than two weeks left to enroll in health coverage that begins March 1, 2022. This year, open enrollment through Maryland Health Connection was extended due to the public health emergency. Maryland residents can enroll in a private health insurance plan until Feb 28, 2022.
“More than 180,000 people have signed up for a health plan since open enrollment began in November. Maryland Health Connection has seen 9% growth over 2021,” said Michele Eberle, executive director of the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange. “This is the last chance for Marylanders to get health insurance this year, and there are more savings for young adults and those with higher incomes than ever.”
This enrollment period is for private health plans only. Those who qualify for Medicaid may enroll any time of year.
EASY ENROLLMENT PROGRAM OFFERS HEALTH COVERAGE, FINANCIAL HELP TO MARYLANDERS WHO CHECK BOX ON TAXES
AFTER OPEN ENROLLMENT, STATE TAX FILERS WILL HAVE ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITY TO ENROLL THROUGH JULY 15
BALTIMORE, MD – For the third year, the Easy Enrollment Program, a partnership between the Office of the Comptroller of Maryland and Maryland Health Connection, will allow uninsured Marylanders to enroll in health insurance through July 15. The date coincides with the extended state income tax filing and payment deadline.
This innovative program allows Marylanders to check a box on their state tax return to share information with Maryland Health Connection. Within a week, the tax filer can expect a letter in the mail. This unlocks a 35-day enrollment window, starting from the date on the letter.
Back on March 10th, the Washington HealthPlanFinder became the first state-based ACA exchange/marketplace to formally create an official COVID-19 Special Enrollment Period, which was originally scheduled to have a deadline of April 8th.
Since that time, nearly every other state-based ACA exchange (all of them except for Idaho) has done likewise. Some of them required some sort of verbal or written attestation of thier eligibility status, while others didn't, but all of them were wide open to any uninsured resident who would normally be eligible to enroll during the official Open Enrollment Period.
The deadlines for the "open" COVID-19 SEP varied by state...but most of them ended up extending them out as that deadline approached. In some cases, they bumped it out again...and again...and yet again, as it became increasingly clear that the deadly pandemic isn't going away anytime soon.
NEARLY 58,000 MARYLANDERS GAIN HEALTH COVERAGE DURING TWO SPECIAL ENROLLMENT PERIODS
BALTIMORE, MD – A total of nearly 58,000 Marylanders enrolled in health coverage during Maryland Health Connection’s two special enrollment periods that began in February and March and ended Wednesday, July 15.
The Maryland Health Insurance Easy Enrollment program launched Feb. 26 as the first of its kind in the nation. The Comptroller of Maryland asked state tax filers to check a box on their state tax return if they lacked health insurance and desired that information to be shared with the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange. Several states are in the process of looking at creating similar programs.
Since February:
More than 41,000 filers checked the box
More than 3,700 enrolled as of July 13
Final numbers are pending, because tax filers had until the July 15 tax filing deadline to check the box on their state tax form, and will have several weeks to enroll.
