SAN FRANCISCO, May 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Stride Health,
the leading Portable Benefits platform for independent contractors,
announced its participation in the "Gig Workers' Week of Action"
initiative by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
(CMS) to help Americans gain access to affordable coverage under
the Affordable Care Act. The company has been at the forefront of
helping gig economy workers get healthcare at a critical
time.
In the middle of the pandemic, independent contractors in the
U.S. were three times more likely to go uninsured as their
counterparts. Fortunately, halfway through this 2021 Special
Enrollment Period, Stride has already helped to enroll twice as
many Americans working in the gig economy as in the entire 10-month
Special Enrollment Period last year.
"Quality health insurance is more affordable and accessible than
ever before, with 63% of uninsured Americans now eligible for
financial assistance. Yet millions of Americans are still unaware
of it," said Noah Lang, Co-Founder
and CEO of Stride. "We're honored to be working with these partners
to help solve that awareness gap, help workers access the resources
available to them, and ultimately get more Americans covered."
As part of CMS' "Gig Workers' Week of Action" on
May 26, Stride Health is assisting by
driving enrollment through its Enhanced Direct Enrollment
partnership with Healthcare.gov. In addition, its partners Uber,
DoorDash, Postmates, StyleSeat, Wonolo and Delivery Drivers Inc.
have committed to ensuring gig worker access to these significantly
reduced health insurance costs as a part of "Gig Workers' Week of
Action".
Together, these organizations are doubling down again this week
to drive awareness of new premium tax credits after contributing to
getting 1 million Americans enrolled in ACA coverage since
President Biden opened a unique Special Enrollment Period (SEP) on
February 15th. That Special
Enrollment Period has now been extended until August 15th.
"We are pleased to continue partnering with Stride to provide
healthcare solutions for those who earn on the Uber platform," said
Danielle Burr, Head of Federal
Affairs at Uber. "We encourage drivers and couriers to take the
opportunity this week to sign up for a health plan that suits their
unique needs."
The Gig Workers' Week of Action aims to help independent
contractors enroll in and understand their opportunities to get
access to affordable coverage, including new policies that can help
reduce the financial burden of healthcare.
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) increased the tax
credits available to individuals and created a unique Special
Enrollment Period that allows most Americans to enroll in coverage
immediately. With these new tax credits, 4 out of 5 individuals can
get a plan for less than $10 a month
and the median deductible has dropped 90% since April 1st, to $50.
With Stride's partnership with the Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS), independent contractors can access these new
ARPA tax credits and complete enrollment entirely within Stride's
experience. This includes the 1 in 4 current enrollees who are able
to "upgrade" to a higher plan category that offers better out of
pocket costs at the same or lower premium.
Gig workers and any other individuals who'd like to learn more
about their enrollment options can visit www.stridehealth.com to
compare plans and enroll in less than 10 minutes. For companies who
are looking to offer Portable Benefits to your workers, please
visit www.stridebenefits.com to learn more about partnering with
Stride.
About Stride
Stride provides the first Portable
Benefits platform helping over 2 million independent workers save
time and money on insurance, taxes, and hundreds of thousands of
products and services. Stride partners with the world's leading
work platforms and employers of non-benefited workers including
Uber, Postmates, DoorDash, GrubHub, Rover, Care.com, TaskRabbit,
Instacart and Keller Williams so they can provide their workers
with access to a complete suite of health and financial benefits.
The company is backed by Venrock, New Enterprise Associates, and
F-Prime Capital Partners. For more information, visit
www.stridehealth.com.
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SOURCE Stride Health