Marketplace enrollees can automatically renew coverage

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently announced that Americans who bought health plans on the exchanges during the last open enrollment period will be able to auto-enroll next year.

According to the HHS, allowing people to auto-enroll in their existing plans will be easier for many people because they won’t have to got through the whole application process again, even though they want the same plan. Unless enrollees want to make changes or purchase a new plan, their current insurance benefits will simply be updated.

“We are continuing to plan for a second open enrollment period, and as we do so, are mindful of our ongoing work to improve the Marketplace for consumers, offering families a way to make the choices that meet their health care needs year after year,” Marilyn Tavenner, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said about the plan.

However, The New York Times reported those whose income has increased or decreased would do well to re-enroll, as they could receive a different subsidy amount and gain a better deal with another plan. One economist told the newspaper there is the risk that auto-enrollment will cause people to have subsides too high or low for what they need during the next year.