How to Get Health Care and Insurance During the Coronavirus Pandemic
If you’re facing the coronavirus pandemic without health insurance, you have the option to enroll in a quality, affordable plan under the Affordable Care Act.
Job Loss
If you become uninsured because of a job loss or other reasons, you may be eligible to enroll in an ACA plan outside the standard open enrollment period in the fall. Changes in income or a death in the family may also be a qualifying life event. Visit Healthcare.gov to learn more.
Special Enrollment
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, some states have opened special enrollment periods that allow individuals and families without health insurance through a job or a government program such as Medicare or Medicaid to sign up for comprehensive health insurance under the ACA.
Visit HealthCare.gov to learn about enrollment opportunities in your state.
The American Heart Association and our public health partners are urging federal policymakers to create a special enrollment period for all states.
Comprehensive Coverage
Plans sold in the health insurance marketplaces are required by the ACA to include patient protections that:
- Guarantee coverage regardless of a person’s health status.
- Cover essential health benefits.
- Prohibit insurers from limiting the amount of care they will cover annually or over a patient’s lifetime.
- Make subsidies available to help consumers afford their plan.
The American Heart Association strongly supports these and other patient protections in the Affordable Care Act that improve access to quality, affordable health care. Our principles for health care call for strengthening the ACA and taking other steps to ensure health care is accessible, affordable and adequate for all.
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