New Federal Changes

If you have heard of Congress’ One Big, Beautiful Bill, you may have questions about how it affects you and your health insurance. A federal agency called the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) oversees marketplaces like BeWell, and it also recently finalized a new rule that made some major changes that impact some consumers’ eligibility for coverage and subsidies. Below we break down the federal changes and what they mean for you.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

The federal government has determined DACA recipients are no longer eligible for coverage through BeWell.

All current DACA enrollees will see their coverage end on August 31, 2025.

Low-income individuals and households

The federal government has removed New Mexico’s special enrollment period for those with household income up to 200% of the federal poverty level (about $62,400 per year for a family of four).

Have you had other life changes? You may qualify to enroll outside of open enrollment through a different qualifying life event. Learn more on what qualifies here.

We might need more documents to confirm your income

The federal government is requiring BeWell to request more documents for some applicants.

If BeWell is unable to confirm your income using federal data sources, we will request documentation from you. This could be a paystub, a letter from your employer, previous tax returns, or other documents.

You will have 90 days to provide this documentation, but you can still receive the advance premium tax credit (APTC) and enroll while you send us your information.

Open enrollment date changes for plan year 2027

The open enrollment period for plan year 2027 will be shorter.

The federal government is changing open enrollment dates to last Nov. 1, 2026, to Dec. 31, 2026.

Open enrollment dates for plan year 2026 will be Nov. 1, 2025, to Jan. 15, 2026.

Reconciling APTC

If you are eligible for and elect to use APTC to reduce the cost of your monthly health insurance premiums, you must reconcile APTC at tax time.

If you received more APTC than you ended up being eligible for, you have to pay the federal government back when you file your taxes. Currently, the amount you would have to pay back is capped.

Under the new law, there is no longer a cap on the amount of money the federal government can require you to pay back if you received too much APTC on a monthly basis.

Also under the new law, you may lose your APTC in the future if you didn’t file your taxes and reconcile your APTC amounts for one year.

While BeWell can’t help you with your taxes, make an appointment with a certified assister to learn more about savings you qualify for and applying them to your monthly payments for health insurance.

Remember: make sure to report any changes to your income or household to BeWell right away. When BeWell has the most up-to-date information for you, it’s more likely you’ll receive the correct amount of savings you qualify for!

Restrictions on savings for some customers

The federal law changes who is eligible for cost savings through marketplaces like BeWell.

People who are ineligible for Medicaid due to their immigration status and the five-year bar will no longer be eligible for APTC starting in plan year 2026.

For people who are not U.S. citizens, only people who qualify as “eligible aliens” will qualify for APTC, Cost-Sharing Reductions and other savings starting in plan year 2027.