From The Washington Post
By Erin Cox
March 13, 2020
EXCERPT:
People without health insurance in Maryland will have a chance to purchase it starting Monday, as the state opens a special enrollment window because of the coronavirus crisis.
Policies can be purchased through the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange, the state’s marketplace that sells individual policies. Many are eligible for subsidies. The policies are normally only available during the traditional open-enrollment period in the fall, but Gov. Larry Hogan (R) ordered the exchange to over them now.
Two other states hard hit by the coronavirus outbreak, Washington and Massachusetts, have created similar enrollment periods. One-hundred members of Congress have called on Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar to implement a nationwide enrollment period.
“If Marylanders become sick, then we want them to be able to access the health care they need and get treatment to help keep all of us safe,” said health care activist Stephanie Klapper, with the Maryland Citizens Health Initiative.
The policies will be available until April 15.
