Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have announced a one-year extension to the transition policy (originally announced November 14, 2013 and extended several times since) for individual and small group health plans that allows issuers to continue policies that do not meet ACA standards.

These transitional rules originally came about due to backlash relating to then President Obama’s famous pledge that “if you like your policy you can keep it.” This transition policy has now been extended to policy years beginning on or before October 1, 2018, provided that all policies end by December 31, 2018. This means individuals and small businesses may be able to keep their non-ACA compliant coverage through the end of 2018, depending on the policy year. Carriers may have the option to implement policy years that are shorter than 12 months or allow early renewals with a January 1, 2018 start date in order to take full advantage of the extension. This also requires action by each states Department of Insurance. In the past the State of Indiana has mirrored the federal guidance.