Trending News Today: States Seek to Extend Open Enrollment for 2018

Several states that run their own exchanges are planning to exempt themselves from the shortened open enrollment period for 2018, according to Kaiser Health News. A new federal rule cut the open enrollment time in half, only giving individuals 45 days to sign up for health plans. In California, residents will have the full 3 months to sign up for their plans and lawmakers are seeking to approve legislation that would circumvent the shortened enrollment period in the future, according to the article.

Scaling back Medicaid enrollment for adults may also have negative consequences for children of low-income families, Kaiser Health News reported. GOP efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) have included provisions about reversing Medicaid expansion and changing the structure of the program. A new study found that children are more likely to be enrolled in Medicaid if their parents are also eligible for coverage, highlighting the importance of the program, according to Kaiser. These findings underscore the tension between the insurance status of parents and their children, Kaiser noted.

In a new bipartisan healthcare bill, Senate Democrats will pursue the restoration of ACA outreach funding, according to The Hill. More than 90% of outreach funding was recently cut by the Trump administration, leaving only $10 million for the efforts. The novel bipartisan legislation aims to stabilize ACA marketplaces and will likely also include provisions about subsidies, The Hill reported.