Comments on Proposed Marketplace Rules April 2025

HHS released a proposed rule affecting Marketplace coverage for comments. Attached are the comments filed by the Massachusetts Health Connector (our state-based Marketplace) and by MLRI. Virtually all the proposed changes would make it harder for eligible people to enroll or renew their health insurance coverage and make their coverage less affordable along with other negative changes affecting eligibility and the scope of benefits. 

Update: On June 20, 2025, HHS released for the final text of the rule in advance of its publication in the Federal Register. Many of the proposed rules were finalized to take effect only temporarily in Plan Year 2026. The preamble explains the reason for this as a concern with the issues raised by commenters, but most of the provisions of the proposed rule have been included in the House version of the 2025 Reconciliation bill (The "One Big Beautiful Bill Act").  The Health Connector typically sends out preliminary eligibility notices for the following plan year in August--just two months away--making the final rules even more problematic. 

The link below is the HHS press release & summary of the final rule.