Biden: Nearly 3M get health coverage during COVID-19 sign-up

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden says nearly 3 million consumers took advantage of a special six-month period to sign up for subsidized health insurance coverage made more affordable by his COVID-19 relief law. He calls that number encouraging and is urging Congress to help keep the trend going by extending the more generous financial assistance. Right now, it’s available only through the end of next year. Biden had ordered the HealthCare.gov marketplace to reopen Feb. 15 for six months to give people the opportunity to buy private coverage for themselves and their families during the pandemic. New census numbers show that about 28 million people were uninsured last year.