The Biden administration will launch a $50 million awareness campaign to advertise a special Obamacare enrollment period that begins on Monday.
The campaign will be funded from Department of Health and Human Services accounts and highlight HealthCare.gov in broadcast, radio and digital ads, according to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.
President Biden is reopening the federal signup website that serves three-dozen states from Feb. 15 to May 15 because he feels people nudged out of jobs by the coronavirus pandemic might need another chance to seek coverage.
It’s unclear how many people will sign up. Some of those who lost jobs already found other options, such as Medicaid, or might have signed up during the normal enrollment period that occurred in the fall.
People who lose coverage because of job-loss are eligible for a special enrollment period, anyway, so the reopening might simply raise awareness of the website, where people can shop for private plans and qualify for federal subsidies that defray premiums.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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