Virginia Poverty Law Center: President Biden Reopens ACA Health Insurance Marketplace for New Open Enrollment Period

RICHMOND, Virginia, Jan. 29 -- The Virginia Poverty Law Center issued the following news release:

President Joe Biden signed an executive order Thursday to reopen the Affordable Care Act's federal health insurance Marketplace for an additional three months, giving individuals and families who have lost health coverage during the coronavirus pandemic the chance to enroll outside of the ACA's traditional six-week Open Enrollment period.

The new Open Enrollment period will begin February 15 and run through May 15. During this time, any uninsured individual may apply for and enroll in health coverage through the ACA.

The announcement to reopen the Marketplace comes at a time of a national public health crisis. An estimated five million people have lost health coverage nationwide because of job losses caused by COVID-19. More than 90,000 of those individuals are from Virginia, according to a Families USA report from late last year.

"This new Open Enrollment period gives individuals and families in Virginia a second chance to enroll in affordable and high-quality health coverage through the ACA," said Jill Hanken, director of Enroll Virginia. "There has never been a more important time to know that your health care needs are covered."

Help is available to all Virginians seeking to enroll in coverage through the ACA. Enroll Virginia's team of federally-certified navigators are available in communities across the state to help individuals and families understand their options, answer questions, determine if financial assistance is available and enroll in coverage. Enroll Virginia's services are unbiased and free. All assistance is available in a virtual, contact-less setting via Zoom.

Consumers may contact Enroll Virginia's staff by calling, 1-888-392-5132 and entering their zip code to be directly transferred to a navigator in their community. Consumers can also visit Enroll Virginia's website: http://www.enrollva.org/get-help/ where they can find a local assister and schedule an appointment.