October 31, 2018
For Immediate Release
Contact: Stephanie Klapper, 410-235-9000
Open Enrollment Begins November 1—Get Covered!
Statement of Stephanie Klapper, Deputy Director, Maryland Citizens’ Health Initiative
“The Affordable Care Act has helped over 400,000 Marylanders access quality, affordable healthcare. We commend Michele Eberle, Executive Director of the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange, for spreading the word that open enrollment in Maryland will go from November 1st to December 15th. We are thrilled that rates will be lower across many health plans thanks to the bi-partisan reinsurance program created during the 2018 Maryland legislative session. Marylanders should know that even if they have shopped before, it’s worth coming back to the Maryland Health Connection to check out their options.
“We thank Representative Elijah Cummings and Representative John Sarbanes for working at the national level to protect this life-saving law from President Trump and Republican leadership in Congress. At the state level Maryland can build on its success defending the Affordable Care Act by passing two key pieces of legislation in 2019: 1) enacting the Health Insurance Down Payment Plan which would give consumers at tax time who did not have health coverage in the past year the choice between paying a penalty or instead using that money to purchase quality health coverage, and 2) creating a Prescription Drug Affordability Board to reign in skyrocketing drug costs. These two measures would help stabilize the insurance market, bring down premiums and make life-saving drugs more affordable for Marylanders. We call on Maryland lawmakers to make these issues top priorities for the 2019 legislative session.”
Last modified: October 31, 2018
