The Office of Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John F. King was made aware of an extension on Monday for consumers to sign up for health insurance coverage on the federal marketplace for 2020.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, who issued the extension, released the following comments in regards to their decision:
“CMS’s primary goal is to provide a seamless Open Enrollment experience for HealthCare.gov consumers and ensure that those Americans who want coverage offered through the Exchange can enroll in a plan. In an abundance of caution, to accommodate consumers who attempted to enroll in coverage during the final hours of Open Enrollment but who may have experienced issues, starting at 3:00 P.M. EST today, December 16 we are extending the deadline to sign up for January 1 coverage until 3:00 A.M. EST December 18.”
In response to CMS re-opening the Open Enrollment period, Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John F. King issued the following statement:
“This extension provides an excellent opportunity for any Georgian who has previously signed up for a plan under the Healthcare Exchange to double-check your selections. Even if you believe you have correctly signed up for coverage to begin January 1, 2020, I highly recommend taking advantage of this opportunity to verify your selections were processed properly.”
A CMS spokesperson also gave the following statement:
“This additional time will give consumers the opportunity to come back and complete their enrollment for January 1 coverage. While the website and the call center remained open for business on December 15 with over half a million consumers enrolling throughout the day, some consumers were asked to leave their name at the call center. Those consumers who have already left their contact information at the call center do not need to come back and apply during this extension because a call center representative will follow up with them later this week.”
For more information on updating your plan selection on the Healthcare Exchange, consumers should visit HealthCare.gov. For other questions regarding open enrollment, call the Georgia Department of Insurance’s Consumer Services Division at 404-656-2070, or toll-free at 1-800-656-2298.
