Governor Gretchen Whitmer is urging the federal government to open a special enrollment period for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. Last week, the governor and Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services Director Anita Fox issued a call for an extra enrollment period so people without coverage could get another chance to sign up. Whitmer reiterated her call this weekend, saying it “is more important than ever for Michiganders to know they have health insurance coverage that will pay for them to be tested and treated for COVID-19.” Her office says Michigan and 32 other states with federally-facilitated marketplaces need the Trump administration to allow the state to open enrollment. As of Saturday, nine states that operate state-based exchanges have opened special enrollment periods to allow people to sign up for health insurance coverage. The governor’s office says special enrollment periods have been allowed by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in the past. For example, after Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, they were allowed for residents affected.
