U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Asks President Biden to Reopen the ACA Marketplace to Allow Wisconsinites to Get Health Insurance During COVID-19 Pandemic

Baldwin: “In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical that all Americans have the support they need to obtain comprehensive, affordable health coverage.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin is calling on President Joe Biden to take action to help more Americans gain access to quality, affordable health insurance they need during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a letter to the President, Baldwin urges President Biden to immediately open a special enrollment period (SEP) for the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) online marketplace, and to restore funding for the Navigator Program and the ACA’s outreach and enrollment efforts.

Baldwin repeatedly called on President Trump to open a special enrollment period during the pandemic, but instead of working to expand access to care, the Trump administration ignored the advice of public health experts and locked out the uninsured and underinsured from accessing the health coverage they desperately needed during an unprecedented public health crisis.

“Over half-a-million Wisconsinites have contracted COVID-19, and nearly every Wisconsinite has been impacted by the ongoing economic crisis caused by the pandemic. Thousands of uninsured and underinsured Wisconsinites are anxious, not only about what the possibility of contracting COVID-19 could mean for their health and that of their family, but also for their financial stability,” wrote Senator Baldwin in her letter.

“An immediate SEP, paired with restored outreach funding and support for the Navigator Program, would give Wisconsin families a level of reassurance and security that has been absent during President Trump’s time in office. States, including Wisconsin, stand ready to work with you during a SEP. Families already struggling to make ends meet in light of the global pandemic need and deserve comprehensive, affordable health insurance.”

The full letter to President Biden is available here.