Health exchange to include subsidies for young adults Open enrollment to begin Monday in Maryland
Leaders from
Open enrollment for 2022 plans on the exchange begins Monday, and the local executives, plus some state lawmakers, specifically sought to draw attention to funds newly available for young adults - who go without insurance more often than any other age group.
"A new state subsidy will make it far more affordable for young people," said
"Someone 28 years old and earning
That
State Sen.
"This brings down the cost to everyone because young healthy people are in the pool," said Feldman, a
The state subsidies come on top of millions more in federal subsidies added earlier this year through the pandemic relief legislation called the American Rescue Plan Act.
The approximately 162,000 Marylanders who signed up through the exchange are automatically eligible for all the subsidies if they sign up again next year. Another 30,000 buy individual plans directly from insurers in the state. (Most people in
The ranks of insured grew by thousands in the past year during the pandemic because Gov.
"Folks 18-34 need help throughout
"We need to spread the word that premium costs are extremely affordable for young adults - and for all Marylanders who need coverage," said
Exchange officials have been working on the largest pockets of uninsured left in the state, particularly Black and Latino residents, and now young adults.
About 6% of Marylanders don't have insurance, and the number of uninsured young adults is about three times that of most other age groups.
About 40,000 people ages 18 to 34 are now eligible for the new state subsidies, out of more than 90,000 uninsured in that group. Another 34,000 young adults who have coverage now through the exchange would also qualify if they re-enroll for 2022.
Other efforts target uninsured generally. The state launched an effort more than a year ago to automatically give people information about plans and help them enroll when they checked a box on their tax forms.
The legislation, called the Easy Enrollment in Health Care Act, targets those who are eligible for coverage but still don't sign up.
"The idea behind this bill is simple but powerful: Millions of Americans who already qualify for free or very low-cost health coverage don't receive it because they are not enrolled in plans for which they are eligible," the Democrat said in a statement.
"Closing this gap and getting more people enrolled in plans they already qualify for is key to providing better care to families and our communities," said
"If you are uninsured in
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