Continuing To Strengthen Americans' Access to Affordable, Quality Health Coverage
Executive Order 14070, titled Continuing To Strengthen Americans' Access to Affordable, Quality Health Coverage, was signed in April 2022 to reinforce the administration’s policy of protecting and strengthening Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Building on Executive Order 14009, it directs federal agencies with responsibilities for Medicaid and ACA programs to review their actions and pursue further steps to expand affordable coverage, improve coverage quality, strengthen benefits, and increase enrollment. The order highlights historic actions already taken (such as expanding Medicaid in some states, extending postpartum coverage, longer and more successful open enrollment periods, expanded enrollment assistance, lower out-of-pocket costs, and efforts to reduce paperwork) and asks agencies to continue work in these areas, including potential new rules to ensure comprehensive coverage and stronger provider networks. It also notes that the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 further strengthened coverage and affordability, and it reiterates that this executive action does not override existing law or create new legal rights. In short, the order is a governance directive to federal agencies to keep expanding access to affordable, quality health coverage, streamline enrollment, improve protections against low-quality plans, and address remaining affordability and debt burdens, while operating within the bounds of law and appropriations.
Key Points
- 1Reaffirms ongoing policy to protect and strengthen Medicaid and the ACA, and to identify and address agency actions that may conflict with that policy.
- 2Directs agencies with Medicaid/ACA responsibilities to continue expanding affordable coverage, improving coverage quality, strengthening benefits, and boosting enrollment, through specific review of enrollment processes, benefits, comprehensiveness, eligibility, costs, and debt reduction.
- 3Cites and endorses prior administrative actions aimed at broadening access and affordability (e.g., state Medicaid expansions in some states, postpartum coverage extensions, a Special Enrollment Period in 2021, a longer Open Enrollment Period with record enrollment, increased enrollment assistance via Navigators, and reductions in out-of-pocket costs) and notes the impact of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 in expanding subsidies and coverage.
- 4Encourages rules and policies to improve coverage standardization, provider networks, and addressing gaps in subsidies, including mechanisms to help families access subsidies when employer coverage is prohibitively expensive.
- 5Clarifies that the order does not alter existing law or create new rights, and that implementation is subject to applicable law and appropriations.