WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Open enrollment for federal Affordable Care Act plans ends Sunday, and federal officials are urging people to sign up before it’s too late.
“Please go to the website, please study what your options are,” Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., said.
Randy Pate of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said premium prices are down across the country.
“Some states we’re seeing go down by double digits,” he noted, putting that down to cuts on things like advertising.
“One out of two people in Michigan that sign up under healthcare.gov can actually get a comprehensive policy for about $10 a month,” Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said.
DHHS says most people wait until the final days to sign up for a health plan, but that’s risky because if they wait too late, they could end up uninsured until 2021.
“It’s easier than ever to sign up,” Pate said. “It can take as little as 15 minutes.”
But Stabenow argued the White House is making the process too difficult.
“Fewer people are signing up because it’s confusing,” she said. “(The Trump administration is) giving less time for people to sign up. They’re not letting people know about it.”
She said too many people are signing up for plans without enough coverage.
“Junk plans are plans that don’t cover maternity care, for instance,” she said. “So just make sure you’re getting the comprehensive coverage.”
She is pushing legislation to make sign-up easier next year.
