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The American Rescue Plan will make healthcare more affordable. Here’s how.

April 19, 2021

On March 10th, Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The $1.9 trillion bill will help Americans through the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. It represents the boldest expansion of healthcare in a decade, aimed at making healthcare more affordable and expanding access to coverage.

Here are the changes that might impact you if you buy your insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace (Pennie) or you’re considering a Pennie plan:

  • Pennie plans will be more affordable for more people!
    • People with lower incomes will be able to get better health insurance plans for lower prices. The Silver Plan, which is a step up from the most basic plan, will be even more affordable.
    • People with higher incomes that didn’t receive tax credits in the past are now eligible. For example, a household of 1 making above $51,000 a year will now be able to receive subsidies.
  • If you’ve lost your job recently, you may be eligible for 6 months of free health insurance. People purchasing COBRA plans after a job loss will be free through the end of the year.
  • Unemployment will no longer count towards your income when you’re getting health insurance. This means more tax credits and lower out-of-pocket costs. If you receive unemployment at all during 2021, you will be eligible for a free silver plan.
  • No one will have to pay more than 8.5% of their income on health insurance!

Here are some examples of how the American Rescue Plan can affect your healthcare costs through Pennie:

The COVID special enrollment period has been extended to August 15th. You do not need to be directly impacted by COVID to benefit from this special enrollment, so if you don’t have coverage be sure to give us a call at 877-570-3642 or look at your options on Pennie.com.

While the changes to the ACA are currently only for 2021 and 2022, PHAN is pushing to make the changes permanent. Join our email list to get involved and stay updated on our efforts to make the ACA more affordable.