Biden Offers Focused COVID Strategy to Protect Individuals with Disabilities and Opens ACA Enrollment

In the 200 page National Strategy for COVID-19 Response and Preparedness, January 2021 plan and among the many executive orders signed, President Biden is paying particular attention to individuals with disabilities and laying out new strategies to protect them from COVID-19 moving forward.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to issue new focused guidance for this population.  Expected changes include:

• Increased assistance to Intermediate Care Facilities and for individuals receiving home and community-based services.
• A change in priority to more quickly vaccinate individuals with disabilities in institutions and others at high-risk.
• The collection of data on the impact of COVID-19 on individuals with disabilities to inform future decision making.
• The Biden school reopening plan will include specific guidance on protection of those with disabilities and immune compromised systems.

In addition, President Biden also re-opened Special Enrollment for under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to increase insurance coverage to those who lost their jobs during the pandemic.  The enrollment period will run from February 15 to May 15^th at HealthCare.gov.  It is estimated that up to 9 million uninsured Americans could get access to free or subsidized insurance as a result of the new enrollment period.