Stimulus Package Update Offers Free Health Insurance Through The End of the Year
Americans struggling to afford health care got thrown a lifeline last week thanks to a part of the American Rescue Plan that provides free health insurance to millions of people affected by unemployment through the end of the year.
See: Your HSA Has Benefits Beyond Healthcare — Here’s How to Put Them to Work
Find: COVID-19 Is Changing How (and Whether) We Take Care of Ourselves — and Our Healthcare Dollars Tell the Story
The free plans became available on July 1, MoneyWise reported. There are no income limits to qualify, but you must have either received or been approved for unemployment benefits during 2021 to be eligible. The plan will be administered through HealthCare.gov, which is the marketplace established under the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare.
The $0 monthly premiums are available under the ACA’s “silver” plans. That’s a big savings, considering that this year’s typical Obamacare premium is $452 a month, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. The free health plans are provided by private insurers and also feature low or no copayments or deductibles.
“We are doing everything we can to remove financial barriers to comprehensive health care,” Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, director of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said in a statement.
Americans who are uninsured and have received unemployment compensation this year should register that information on HealthCare.gov. After that, they can shop for a free plan on the site. Participants need to sign up by Aug. 15, which is when the current open enrollment period ends. The ACA is waiving the typical income limits needed for Obamacare coverage. However, you might not qualify if you or your spouse can get insurance from an employer or through Medicare or Medicaid.
See: Should You Redo Your Healthcare Plan? Here Are the Pros and Cons
Find: How To Go Back To Work And Still Keep Unemployment Benefits
The program comes at an opportune time for many Americans who are still struggling from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. As previously reported on GOBankingRates, about 15% of U.S. adults ages 18 to 64 don’t have health insurance, according to data from the most recent National Health Interview Survey. The most common reason cited for being uninsured was that health insurance coverage is too expensive.
Meanwhile, many Americans have taken advantage of the Biden Administration’s decision to launch a special open enrollment period for Obamacare coverage. Nearly 1 million people signed up during the first 10 weeks of the special period, GOBankingRates reported in May. Of the new enrollees, almost half purchased coverage in April after Congress added billions of dollars in subsidies in the latest stimulus package.
More From GOBankingRates
From New York to California: A Spotlight on Beloved Small Businesses Across All 50 States
Monifi Review: Mobile Banking That Can Improve Your Budgeting
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Stimulus Package Update Offers Free Health Insurance Through The End of the Year
