Dive Brief:
- On Thursday afternoon, HHS announced plans to allow existing marketplace consumers to auto-enroll for 2015. Enrollees will be able remain in the same plan next year unless they want to shop for a new one.
- “We are working to streamline the process for consumers wishing to remain in their current plan," HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell said in a release.
- The new guidelines will bring the exchanges in line with the current insurance marketplace, in which the majority of consumers are typically auto-enrolled in their plans each year. For example, about 88% of employees who receive coverage via the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program are auto-enrolled each year, with updated premiums and benefits.
Dive Insight:
Those consumers whose income changes substantively enough to suggest that they no longer qualify for a tax credit will be auto-enrolled in their current plan, but without a tax credit. HHS advises that state-based marketplaces may take this approach or propose an alternative. Current consumers will receive notifications from the federal marketplace providing education on how to update their information to receive a "tailored and updated" tax credit that aligns with income changes.
There will be a 30-day comment period on the proposed rule.