HHS says marketplace customers can automatically renew their plans

The announcement says people getting subsidies will be allowed to renew for 2015 without filing an application or going back on healthcare.gov. But consumer advocates caution that may not be the best option for those customers.

The New York Times: Most Will Be Able To Automatically Renew Coverage Under Health Law
The Obama administration announced Thursday that most people would be able to renew subsidized health insurance coverage without filing an application and without going back to HealthCare.gov, the website that frustrated millions of consumers last fall. But some people will have to go into the marketplace again -; if, for example, their income has changed or they want to shop for a better deal in 2015 (Pear, 6/26). 

The Washington Post: HHS Sets Enrollment Rules For Year Two Of Obamacare
The Obama administration on Thursday plans to issue much-anticipated instructions for Americans to reenroll for next year in the new federal health insurance marketplace -; a set of rules intended to make it easy for consumers but that nevertheless will require some people to reapply through HealthCare.gov to preserve their subsidies or coverage. ... A fraction of the people in the federal insurance exchange will need to reapply for one or more reasons: their incomes are rising or falling significantly, they did not give permission for their tax records to be checked automatically, or the health plans they joined this year disappear as of January (Goldstein, 6/26). 

The Wall Street Journal: Federal Health-Exchange Plans To Automatically Renew
The Obama administration plans to automatically renew for next year the health plans and premium subsidies that consumers obtained through the Affordable Care Act's federal insurance exchange. The move, which will apply to most of the five million people who selected insurance through HealthCare.gov for 2014, will make it easier for consumers to stay in their plans and retain tax credits lowering the cost of coverage. It also will relieve pressure on the federal exchange, which was crippled during parts of its first enrollment period (Radnofsky, 6/26). 

The Hill: Obamacare Year Two Will Include Auto-Enrollment
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposed a rule on Thursday that would allow people already enrolled in health plans under ObamaCare to auto-enroll during future enrollment periods. The auto-enrollment could make it easier for people to stay on their health plans and make it easier for the administration to avoid hiccups in year two of the exchanges after an initial enrollment period plagued by delays (Al-Faruque, 6/26).

USA Today: Most Can Auto-Enroll For Insurance, But Should They?
About 95% of those who bought health insurance on the federal exchange will be able to re-enroll automatically for 2015, the Obama administration said Thursday, but a new study suggests the move is unwise unless consumers shop around (O'Donnell, 6/26). 

Kaiser Health News: Premiums For Many In The Individual Market May Change Next Year
Health insurance premiums for people with subsidies could increase substantially in some markets – but consumers who shop around may not end up paying more, a new report out Thursday says. As insurers battle for a share of the individual market, some plans that were the low-priced leaders this year are not among the least expensive options next year, according to an analysis of rates filed in nine states by consulting firm Avalere Health (Appleby, 6/26).