All articles
Connecticut Extends Health Insurance Deadline, Using State Funds to Counter Expired Federal Subsidies
Connecticut extends its health insurance enrollment deadline to January 31, using state funds to counter rising premium costs.
Key Points
- Connecticut extends its health insurance enrollment deadline to January 31, using state funds to counter rising premium costs.
- The state is deploying a $70 million fund to help cover costs for over 100,000 families after federal pandemic-era subsidies expired.
- The move highlights a trend of states creating their own stopgap measures to address federal policy shifts, as most states kept the original January 15 deadline.
Connecticut has extended the open enrollment deadline for its Access Health CT marketplace to January 31, deploying state funds to counter soaring premium costs after federal ACA subsidies expired.
Subsidy cliffhanger: The extension comes after the collapse of federal pandemic-era aid created a so-called "subsidy cliff." To soften the blow, the state is deploying a $70 million fund to help cover costs for over 100,000 families.
Market mechanics: The new January 31 deadline pushes enrollment back from the original January 15 cutoff, with coverage for late sign-ups beginning February 1. Shoppers on the exchange can choose from plans offered by carriers including Anthem and ConnectiCare.
Connecticut's move highlights a growing trend of states creating their own stopgap measures to fill voids left by federal policy shifts, but it raises long-term questions about the sustainability of state-funded subsidy programs. While Connecticut extended its deadline, most states stuck to the original January 15 cutoff for ACA enrollment.
.png){kind=spacer}