Ahead of Expected Surge in Final Day Sign-Ups, Top Democrats Urge Trump Administration to Set “Grace Period” for Families Attempting to Purchase Health Care at Midnight on Dec. 15

In new letter, Senate, House committee leaders call on Trump Administration to ensure all potential enrollees waiting to register for coverage at midnight on December 15 will be processed & able to receive health care

(Washington, D.C.) – Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Bob Casey (D-PA) and Representatives Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Richard Neal (D-MA) today called on Acting Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Eric Hargan and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma to set a “grace period” for the end of this year’s Open Enrollment to ensure all potential enrollees waiting to register for coverage at midnight on December 15 will be processed and able to receive the health care they need.

In previous years, HealthCare.gov ensured potential enrollees who were left “in line” at midnight at the end of Open Enrollment were given a grace period to obtain coverage. Despite significant interest from consumers in enrolling for health coverage for plan year 2018, HHS and CMS have not yet indicated whether they plan to offer such a grace period this year. 

“You have previously stated that the Department is “committed to making this year’s enrollment as consumer-friendly as possible,” wrote Democrats in a letter today to HHS and CMS. “We hope you will carry through with that goal and commit to offering a grace period for potential enrollees still waiting to enroll at midnight on December 15.”

Signatories: Murray is the Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Wyden is the Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, Casey is the Ranking Member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, Pallone is the Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Neal is the Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Committee.

Full text of the letter below and PDF can be found HERE.

December 13, 2017

The Honorable Eric D. Hargan

Acting Secretary

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

200 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, DC 20201

The Honorable Seema Verma

Administrator

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

7500 Security Boulevard

Baltimore, MD, 21244

Dear Acting Secretary Hargan and Administrator Verma:

According to news reports, it remains unclear whether the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will offer people seeking to obtain health coverage on the final day of eligibility this Friday, December 15, a grace period if they are unable to access HealthCare.gov due to high demand.  It is uncertain if potential enrollees waiting in line at midnight on December 15 to either enroll or to complete a previously started application will in fact be left with no opportunity to be insured in 2018.[1]  We therefore call on you to offer a grace period this year, ensuring that all potential enrollees waiting to register for coverage at midnight on December 15 will be processed and will be able to receive vital health care coverage.

Fortunately, there have been few technical glitches thus far through this year’s Open Enrollment, allowing those who have visited HealthCare.gov to enroll with few hurdles.  Yet, as in past years, there will likely be a surge of interest in the final days and hours of Open Enrollment.  Under the previous Administration, HealthCare.gov employed a model of placing consumers in waiting rooms to ensure the website could handle the higher levels of traffic.  Potential enrollees who were left “in line” at midnight at the end of the Open Enrollment period were then given a grace period to obtain coverage.  This ensured that all those interested in receiving health coverage who had taken steps to enroll within the Open Enrollment period were able to do so.  Despite significant interest from consumers in enrolling for health coverage for plan year 2018, CMS has not yet indicated whether it plans to offer such a grace period this year. 

You have previously stated that the Department is “committed to making this year’s enrollment as consumer-friendly as possible.”[2]  We hope you will carry through with that goal and commit to offering a grace period for potential enrollees still waiting to enroll at midnight on December 15.

Sincerely,

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