HLC Applauds Biden Administration Success in Health Insurance Enrollment, Additional Funding for Navigator Programs

Congress Can Aid the Pandemic-Related Uninsured by Providing Subsidies for COBRA Coverage

WASHINGTON – The Healthcare Leadership Council (HLC) today applauded the continued efforts of the Biden Administration to assist more Americans in acquiring health insurance during a period in which a significant number of individuals and families have lost employer-based coverage because of jobs eliminated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

HLC president Mary R. Grealy said it is very positive news that more than 206,000 Americans enrolled in health insurance plans during the special enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act health insurance marketplaces that is open from February 15 to May 15. HLC had advocated the special enrollment period as well as additional funding for insurance marketplace Navigator programs that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced this week.

“We know that health disparities have been exacerbated during the pandemic,” said Ms. Grealy. “The Navigator funding is critical in helping people in underserved communities, those who have been particularly hard hit by both the virus and the correlating economic downturn, gain access to affordable health coverage. Providing more resources for this program is the right thing to do.”

HLC has also been advocating that Congress take action to extend subsidies to Americans who lost health insurance during the pandemic to help them afford COBRA coverage.

For Immediate Release
March 5, 2021
Contact: Kelly Fernandez  202-449-3452