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President Biden takes steps to increase access to healthcare through Medicaid & ACA marketplace

February 1, 2021

On Thursday, January 28th, President Biden signed a series of executive orders aiming to improve access to healthcare for individuals receiving Medicaid and Marketplace coverage. Here’s what you need to know:

What is an Executive Order? 
An Executive Order is a document that a President signs that directs federal agencies to carry out certain operations. Executive orders are not laws, and do not require any action by Congress.

How do the Executive Orders expand healthcare?
President Biden used an Executive Order to direct the federal government to reopen healthcare.gov from February 15th through May 15th in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This will allow individuals who are uninsured or have lost insurance  to enroll in coverage, which is a critical tool for getting people covered during the pandemic.. Pennsylvania no longer uses healthcare.gov, but we are hopeful that Pennie will reopen as well.

Additionally, an Executive Order directs federal health agencies to study ways to strengthen protections for people with pre-existing conditions, work to increase access to Medicaid and ACA health plans, and study policies to make coverage more affordable, including increased financial assistance.

How will this Executive Order impact individuals?
All of these provisions will work to make healthcare more affordable and easier to access for individuals. The Executive Order also gives us a good look into President Biden’s healthcare plan, and what he will prioritize in his first term.

For more information on these Executive Orders, click here.