Easy Enrollment in Health Care Act

This legislation makes it easier for people to get health coverage—especially at tax time. With your consent, the tax agency can share limited tax info with an Exchange to check if you or a family member qualify for Medicaid, CHIP, or a $0 premium plan. If a $0 plan is available, the Exchange can enroll you by default, and you can still pick another plan or opt out; a special sign-up window starts when you consent. The Exchange is directed to use data it already has to cut down on extra forms. It can also use the National Directory of New Hires to verify wages and whether someone is offered coverage through a group health plan. Electronic signatures are allowed. Privacy rules restrict how your tax info can be used, and there are procedures to fix any eligibility decision that was wrong because of a data error.

It also updates who qualifies and when. States can rely on recent SNAP or TANF findings to help people qualify for Medicaid or CHIP. If you apply early in the year, you can qualify based on last year’s income; if using current income would help you more, the state must use that. The bill adjusts premium tax credit timing and adds a safe harbor so people aren’t hit with surprise paybacks when credits were based on the same data used by the IRS or the Exchange. It funds the technology to share data and run these systems, and it calls for a study on aligning open enrollment with tax time.

• Who is affected: Uninsured taxpayers and their household members; people who may qualify for Medicaid, CHIP, or a $0 premium plan through an Exchange.
• What changes: At tax time, with consent, limited tax info can be securely shared to check eligibility and, if available, enroll you by default in a $0 plan; you can choose another plan or opt out. The law uses existing wage and job data, allows e-signatures, sets privacy safeguards, fixes errors, and funds the tech needed to make this work. You can still apply for coverage without filing a tax return or sharing tax data.
• When: Some updates start in 2027; the tax-time sign‑up program must be in place by 2028; certain parts run through 2034.