The A Guy Who Tried To Eat His Friend’s Sister in law and Got Eaten (2024)White House has a problem: Not enough people are signing up for insurance through the markets set up by Obamacare.
There's a possible solution: Tap the companies that are normalizing gig economy work that is attracting millions of Americans but not providing insurance.
Ahead of open enrollment for Affordable Care Act insurance, the Obama administration is reaching out to some of the companies whose workers need benefits the most. The Department of Health and Human Services is partnering with tech companies and others that employ or work with America's growing class of gig workers, who work on a contract basis as freelancers or for companies like Uber and TaskRabbit.
The federal government is hoping those companies can encourage their employees to sign up for health insurance during open enrollment, the period when new customers can sign up for Obamacare, since their employment doesn't provide traditional benefits.
SEE ALSO: An insurance company is subsidizing Apple Watches for its customersA recent report from McKinsey estimated that 20 to 30 percent of the country's working age population would be classified as independent workers. The Freelancers' Unionmeasured a slightly more conservative 55 million Americans.
“We’re excited about this collaboration, which will boost our efforts to reach more Americans than ever this year and help them get covered,” HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell said in a statement. “The Marketplaces are already serving entrepreneurs and independent workers across the country."
The government has partnered with these kinds of companies during past open enrollment seasons. This year's partners include Uber, Lyft, WeWork, TaskRabbit and Care.com, which recently launched its own benefits platform for gig workers.
The partnership came the same week news broke that Obamacare premiums would go up 25 percent in 2017. The White House expects monthly enrollment in ACA plans to average 11.4 million in 2017, the New York Timesreported.
SEE ALSO: Heal raises $26.9 million for at-home doctor visitsAccording to Stride Health, a benefits platform tailored to independent workers and another HHS partner, 35 percent of independent workers are uninsured.
Of that group, 63 percent can't afford coverage, 8 percent lost insurance after billing issues and 12 percent missed the open enrollment period.
The companies that signed on to encourage participation during open enrollment released a joint statement:
"Our companies alongside the Affordable Care Act, are helping to build a new, innovative American economy. It’s an economy where people can enjoy the peace of mind that comes with affordable health coverage no matter where they work. Our businesses represent over 15 million professionals and reach over 8.5 million people with our products and services. During Open Enrollment, we are committed to providing information that helps people understand their coverage options.”
Not everyone thinks this independent model of work is building a "new, innovative American economy." Some of the workers the White House wants to sign up for ACA insurance this year would likely prefer if Uber, for example, classified its drivers as employees instead of contractors and provided benefits.
SEE ALSO: Do you really need expensive health insurance?Still, the Obama administration wants to get as many people insured as possible. Companies participating in the HHS partnership will send notice about open enrollment to their workers.
"Our goal is to drive up coverage rates and affordability for a population that needs it the most," Stride CEO Noah Lang said.
Open enrollment runs from Nov. 1 to Jan. 31.
Best fitness tracker deal: Save 25% on the Fitbit Versa 4Bestway HydroWordle today: The answer and hints for April 28, 2025NYT mini crossword answers for April 27, 2025Best headset deal: Save 11% on the Xbox Wireless Gaming HeadsetAsus TUF A16 Gaming Laptop deal: Get 29% off at AmazonShop the Google Pixel Pro 9 for $200 off at AmazonWebb telescope may have just revealed a spiral galaxy's startling secretToday's Hurdle hints and answers for April 28, 2025Timberwolves vs. Lakers 2025 livestream: Watch NBA playoffs for freeBest robot vacuum deal: Over $900 off Ecovacs Deebot X1 Omni robot vacuumNYT Strands hints, answers for April 28Get DeskSense — your AI assistant — for life for just $38WhatsApp, Signal scam leads to Microsoft account hacks [April 2025]iOS 19 rumors: Every feature we've heard of so farMedvedev vs. Nakashima 2025 livestream: Watch Madrid Open for free'The Last of Us' Season 2, episode 3's opening credits has a heartbreaking changeWordle today: The answer and hints for April 27, 2025Facebook to crack down on spam and engagement farmingCrystal Palace vs. Aston Villa 2025 livestream: Watch FA Cup for free Taking to the Streets? Don’t Bring a Sign—Bring a Painting High Fade: Bryan Washington on the Intimacy of a Haircut Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s ‘Americanah’ Selected for “One Book, One New York” On Translating Karolina Ramqvist’s Novel ‘The White City’ Anelise Chen: A Mollusk’s Guide to “Clamming Down” “I Want to Go a Little Hotel…and Work at What Only Pleases Me” In Memoriam: Bob Silvers’s Vision An Empty Saddle for Yevgeny Yevtushenko, Cowboy Poet Anyone Can Tell You Penn Station Is Awful—It Takes a Writer to Show It Revisited: On Anselm Kiefer’s “Velimir Chlebnikov” Now: A Poem for Robert Silvers Staff Picks: Marianna Rothen, Olivier Assayas, Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie Staff Picks: Fleur Jaeggy, R. Sikoryak, Brian Blanchfield, and More In an Ancient Cave, It’s Pointillism: The Prequel Staff Picks: Taipei Story, Robert Altman, Samantha Hunt, and More Mike Powell: Why I Live Where I Live Mike Powell: Visiting a Fissure in the Arizona Desert Ernest Hemingway, Venture Capitalist Photos from Our 2017 Spring Revel Love the Smell of Old Books? Try the Historic Book Odor Wheel
1.6663s , 10136.5703125 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【A Guy Who Tried To Eat His Friend’s Sister in law and Got Eaten (2024)】,Exquisite Information Network