Easy Enrollment in Health Care Act

This plan makes it much easier to get health coverage when you file your federal taxes. If you give consent on your tax return, your basic tax info can be shared with your state’s health insurance marketplace to check if you or your family qualify for free or low-cost coverage. If you qualify for a plan with a $0 monthly premium, the marketplace can pick a plan for you by default, tell you about it, and give you time to choose a different plan or opt out. You also get a special enrollment window tied to your tax filing. If you’d owe a premium for Medicaid or CHIP, you won’t be enrolled without saying yes. You can always opt out. The government must fix any eligibility errors quickly and honor your right to notice and appeal. You are not required to file a tax return or share tax data to apply for coverage.

States and marketplaces can also check reliable data, like recent wages and new hires, to confirm eligibility and see if someone has an offer of job-based coverage. States may use SNAP or TANF findings to speed up Medicaid/CHIP decisions. For people applying early in the year, last year’s income can be used to prove eligibility. The bill funds the tech needed to make these data checks work and to protect privacy. It also adds guardrails so people aren’t hit with surprise paybacks if they got advance tax credits based on info the marketplace or tax return used in good faith. Some changes start in 2027, and many tax-filing-based features run from 2028 through 2034.

Key points

• Who is affected: Uninsured taxpayers and their household members; people eligible for Medicaid, CHIP, or marketplace plans; state Exchanges and agencies.
• What changes: Consent at tax time lets marketplaces check eligibility and enroll people in $0-premium plans by default with clear notices and opt-outs; faster Medicaid/CHIP decisions using SNAP/TANF findings; use of wage/new-hire data to verify eligibility; funding for data systems; error fixes and appeal rights; safe harbors to reduce surprise tax credit paybacks.
• When: Medicaid/CHIP income updates take effect Jan 1, 2027; many tax-filing features begin Jan 1, 2028, and continue through Dec 31, 2034.