The Big Picture
The Biden Administration is just two weeks old, and President Biden has already issued more than two dozen Executive Orders on racial justice, health equity, strengthening Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the COVID-19 pandemic, immigration, and other topics. Importantly, in nearly all cases agencies must issue guidance, undertake new rulemaking, or take other actions to bring these Executive Orders to life. For example, following President Biden’s Executive Order on Strengthening Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it will open an ACA Marketplace special enrollment period from February 15 through May 15. The last two weeks underscore that with tight margins in Congress, administrative actions will continue to be essential to advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s policy agenda over the next two years.