President Joe Biden on Jan. 28 signed a series of executive actions related to healthcare, including an order to reopen ACA enrollment.
Five things to know about the executive actions:
1. The president signed an executive order that calls on HHS to reopen enrollment on healthcare.gov from Feb. 15 until May 15 for Americans who need health insurance coverage. After the president signed the order, HHS announced a special enrollment period.
"The Department is committed to ensuring that we deploy every available resource during the Public Health Emergency," said HHS Acting Secretary Norris Cochran. "This Special Enrollment Period will ensure that more individuals and families have access to quality, affordable health coverage during this unprecedented time."
2. By reopening enrollment on healthcare.gov, the president's intent is to offer coverage to those who lost it during the COVID-19 pandemic and to those who did not have insurance and now want it, a senior administration official said Jan. 28, according to The New York Times.
3. President Biden ordered federal agencies to reexamine policies that undermine protections for people with pre-existing medical conditions and those that make it more difficult to enroll in Medicaid.
4. The president issued a memorandum to protect and expand access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare. The memorandum rescinds the global gag rule, also referred to as the Mexico City Policy, which bars international nonprofits that provide abortion counseling or referrals from receiving U.S. funding. The policy was first instated by former President Ronald Reagan, and it has been rescinded by Democratic presidents and reinstated by Republican presidents over the years, according to The Hill.
5. The memorandum also directs HHS to immediately consider whether to rescind regulations under its Title X family planning program.