Joe Biden opens three-month special enrollment period for Obamacare while Affordable Care Act case's fate remains in the hands of the Supreme Court

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Joe Biden's administration on Monday kicked off a three-month emergency enrollment period on healthcare.gov – the open healthcare coverage market born from Obamacare – as the pandemic resulted in thousands losing their health insurance.

The market for subsidized health plans will remain open through May 15 as the Democratic-led Congress pushes for more financial help that could cut premiums by double digits.

This enrollment period during the coronavirus pandemic is an early test of Biden's strategy to use the Affordable Care Act as a springboard toward health coverage for all.

'Health care is a right, not a privilege – and I will do everything in my power to ensure that all Americans have access to the quality, affordable health care they deserve,' Biden said in a statement released Monday.

'That is especially critical in the midst of a deadly pandemic that has already taken the lives of more than 470,000 of our fellow Americans and infected more than one out of every 12 additional Americans, often with devastating consequences to their health.'

Joe Biden is starting a three-month emergency enrollment period on Monday for people to get covered on healthcare.gov in the midst of the pandemic through May 15

The new directive comes as people continue to be vaccinated against the virus. It also comes in stead of permanently reopening the marketplace as the fate of the Obama-era initiative will be decided by the Supreme Court later this year

As of Monday, more than 27.6 million people in the U.S. have contracted COVID-19 and more than 485,000 have died

He continued: 'Starting today and running through May 15, 2021, we are opening HealthCare.gov for all Americans to have the opportunity to sign up for health insurance. Now, everyone will be able to use a special enrollment period to help secure some peace of mind as we work to beat the pandemic and strengthen and build on the Affordable Care Act.'

The three-month period is a way for Biden to get around obstacles with the market being shut down while the 6-3 conservative majority Supreme Court decides the fate of the Obama-era healthcare program later this year.

Advancing on a parallel track to the health coverage initiative, the new nearly $2 trillion COVID-19 relief bill from House Democrats would offer a generous, though temporary, increase in subsidies for people covered by Obamacare.

While policy experts are taking note, it's unclear how uninsured Americans will respond.

Former President Barack Obama's health law has been on the books over a decade, but surveys consistently show that many people lacking job-based insurance do not realize they may qualify. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that about 33 million people are uninsured this year.

The Biden administration is going the extra mile to try to sign up people.

HealthCare.gov will be accepting applications starting Monday through May 15, a period about twice as long as annual open enrollment.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which runs the program, has a $50 million advertising budget, five times what the Trump administration would spend on annual open enrollment. Under Biden, there will be a special emphasis on reaching Black and Latino communities that have borne a heavy burden from COVID-19.

The emergency enrollment period was kick-started last month as Biden signed a series of executive orders and actions related to the prevailing pandemic.

HealthCare.gov's market for subsidized health plans reopens Monday, Feb. 15, 2021, for a special three-month sign-up window, as the Democratic-led Congress weighs legislation that could cut premiums by double digits for many

Across the country, people in the 36 states served by the federal HealthCare.gov marketplace will be able to apply. Additionally, most states that run their own marketplaces are matching the federal effort, giving it the feel of a national campaign.

The appeal for uninsured people could become much clearer if Congress increases premium subsidies as part of its next virus relief package.

By the budget center's calculations, a family of four making $50,000 would pay $67 a month in premiums for a standard plan, instead of an average of $252 currently, while also qualifying for help with deductibles and copays. The boost in premium assistance would be available for this year and for 2022.

Similarly, a single person making $30,000 a year would pay $85 a month for a standard plan instead of the current $195.

The Democratic proposal would allow more solid middle-class households to qualify for financial help. On the opposite end of the scale, those who've experienced unemployment would qualify for extra-generous subsidies.

Republicans who tried but failed to repeal the law under President Donald Trump are calling the Democratic plan a waste of taxpayer dollars. But many Democrats see it as merely a down payment on a more ambitious health care agenda.

The Obama health law now covers more than 20 million people through a combination of subsidized private plans and, in most states, expanded Medicaid.

Experts agree that job losses during the pandemic have led to more uninsured people, but it's unclear how many more. Some estimates range from 5 million to 10 million, while the Congressional Budget Office suggests a lower number, more like 3 million.

Chris Sloan of the consulting firm Avalere Health says it's likely that many who became unemployed in the pandemic had no job-based health insurance to begin with. That means they represent the demographic for which the health law was originally designed.

'People are coming back into the workforce as the unemployment rate comes down, but they may not necessarily have the same job or as good a job,' said Sloan. 'This will be a an important option for people still facing job and employment insecurity.'