The Pennsylvania Health Insurance Exchange Authority Board voted to change the 2021 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period (OEP), moving away from the shortened 45-day OEP of previous years. The enrollment period will be Nov. 1, 2020 to Jan. 15, 2021, 30 days more than last year’s period. The Board was able to change the OEP due to Pennsylvania changing to a fully state-based marketplace for the 2021 enrollment period. This change allows the commonwealth to make changes to the enrollment period and other procedures like adding Special Enrollment Periods for the 2021 period. Board members agreed more time was needed for consumer enrollment as 2021 will be the first year since the beginning of the Affordable Care Act that Pennsylvania will be operating its own exchange.
