For some time insurers have been complaining that consumers have been abusing special enrollment periods (SEPs) to sit out open enrollment opportunities while healthy and then enroll in coverage through SEPs once they need health care. Consumer Oriented and Operated (CO-OP) plans have complained that excessively rigid regulatory requirements have impeded their operations.
On May 6, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services took action by adopting an interim final rule that amends both current SEP requirements and regulations governing CO-OP board and marketing requirements CMS also released consumer and insurer fact sheets describing the six SEPs that are currently available for consumers to enroll in health plans outside of the annual open enrollment periods.
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