ACAP Urges President Biden to Stop Junk Insurance

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 26, 2021

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Jeff Van Ness, (202) 204-7515, jvanness@communityplans.net

STATEMENT: ACAP URGES PRESIDENT BIDEN TO STOP JUNK INSURANCE

WASHINGTON—Margaret A. Murray, Chief Executive Officer of the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP), released the following statement asking President Biden to take action to reverse the 2018 rule permitting the expanded use of short-term, limited duration insurance plans.

“We urge President Biden to recognize the threat short-term, limited duration plans pose to consumers under the 2018 rule and to restore these plans to their intended role as stopgap coverage, instead of allowing them to persist as an inferior and hazardous substitute for comprehensive coverage.

“For two years, STLDI plans have been permitted to deceive consumers, drawing them in with the promise of high-quality care they can actually afford, only to leave them with nothing more than hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills when they needed care.

“When President Biden signs an executive order opening a Special Enrollment Period for the federal marketplaces to account for insurance losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers should not have to worry that they will fall victim to deceitful brokers marketing junk insurance.  Allowing these plans to compete directly with ACA-complaint plans chips away at crucial consumer protections and threatens higher premiums for ACA-compliant health plans.

“Consumers deserve better, especially during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic when the need for coverage is so critical. ACAP is proud to have led the legal fight against junk insurance for these last two years. We thank the President for acknowledging those efforts during his campaign and strongly urge him to take this first step toward restoring and improving the health care system for the millions of Americans who rely on it.”

About ACAP:

ACAP represents 78 health plans, which collectively provide health coverage to more than 20 million people. Safety Net Health Plans serve their members through Medicaid, Medicare, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), the Marketplace and other publicly-sponsored health programs. For more information, visit www.communityplans.net.

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