On August 7, a group of 26 Senators asked the Trump administration to ease access to health care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Led by Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), the letter urges immediate enrollment improvements to Medicare and to the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) federally run marketplace. This includes establishing Special Enrollment Periods (SEP) that would help people more quickly connect with their coverage.

There is clear evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn are causing millions of Americans to lose not only their jobs but also their employment-based health insurance. What’s less well known is how many of these workers are remaining uninsured, and how many are shifting to other coverage—such as a spouse’s plan, Medicaid, or Medicare. Federal data on these changes will not be available until next year. In the interim, a new Families USA analysis seeks to partially fill this information gap.

Work on the next coronavirus relief bill is underway. U.S. House and Senate leaders are negotiating the size and scope of the final legislation, as well as specific policy items.

The Medicare Rights Center appreciates the potential for Medicare telehealth expansions to increase access to care. We have long supported allowing Medicare beneficiaries to obtain critical behavioral health services, including some furnished by opioid treatment programs, remotely—regardless of where they live and from their own home.

Yesterday, the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce unanimously advanced the Beneficiary Enrollment Notification and Eligibility Simplification (BENES) Act (H.R. 2477). Next steps for the bill include consideration by the full House.

Today, the Medicare Rights Center sent congressional leaders a letter of support for the BENES Act (S. 1280/H.R. 2477) signed by all living former Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (previously the Health Care Financing Administration) Administrators, Republicans and Democrats.

This week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released preliminary data on the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on people with Medicare. It confirms that older adults are at high risk of infection and serious illness, and that the virus is disproportionately impacting communities of color.

On Friday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a harmful final rule that removes key Affordable Care Act (ACA) protections against discrimination based on sex stereotyping and gender identity.

The coronavirus public health emergency continues to put older adults and people with disabilities at significant risk. Federal policymakers have made important strides in responding to the outbreak, but more must be done to help people with Medicare.

While all Americans have felt its effects, the coronavirus public health emergency is disproportionately impacting minority communities, especially Black, Hispanic or Latino, and American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) people.