Health and social policy

Executive Order 14009: Strengthening Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act

President: Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Directed agencies to review policies that restricted ACA or Medicaid access and opened a pandemic Marketplace special-enrollment period.

Status: Revoked.

Is Executive Order 14009 still in effect? No. Revoked January 20, 2025; ACA and Medicaid statutes remain.

A family follows a path toward a hospital and coverage symbols beneath a health shield and stylized U.S. map.
Health coverage and access to care, illustrated symbolically; no individual enrollment or eligibility determination is shown. EO Explained · site-generated editorial illustration · not documentary evidence.

What does Executive Order 14009 do?

HHS and CMS were tasked with a Marketplace enrollment period, and agencies had to review policies that could limit coverage access.

Administration position: The order’s findings and policy rationale were the Biden administration’s positions. This guide distinguishes them from implementation records and judicial rulings.
SignedJanuary 28, 2021
Lead officialsHHS and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Express timingImmediate special enrollment; agency policy review

Before and after

Before the order

Marketplace enrollment generally required annual open enrollment or a qualifying event, and prior policies narrowed some program access.

After the order

CMS opened a nationwide HealthCare.gov special-enrollment period and revised Marketplace rules. EO 14148 revoked the order, but statutory ACA and Medicaid coverage continued.

Who had to do what

Agency / officeActionTiming / position
HHS/CMSOpen a COVID special-enrollment periodFebruary 15, 2021 start
AgenciesReview access barriers and inconsistent policiesPromptly

What happened next

EO 14009 signed.

HealthCare.gov special enrollment began.

The extended special-enrollment period ended.

EO 14148 revoked EO 14009.