CMS recalls furloughed workers to run Medicare and ACA enrollment

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will temporarily recall furloughed employees to work beginning Monday, Oct. 27, to manage open enrollment for Medicare and Affordable Care Act marketplace plans, the agency said Thursday. The recalled staff, who have been off work for roughly three weeks amid the federal government shutdown, will be paid for with user fees from data sharing agreements with researchers, the agency spokeswoman said.

CMS did not disclose how many employees will return. Agency contingency plans indicated about 3,300 staff would be retained during the shutdown, roughly half of the agency workforce, which suggests that about 3,000 furloughed workers could be called back. The agency said the move was necessary "to best serve the American people" during the enrollment periods.

Medicare open enrollment began Oct. 15 and runs through Dec. 7, allowing recipients and eligible individuals to switch between traditional Medicare and private Medicare Advantage plans or change existing coverage. Marketplace open enrollment for ACA plans is scheduled to begin Nov. 1 and run through Jan. 15. CMS oversees programs that provide health coverage to more than 160 million...