If an employee has experienced a loss in hours (and salary) and can not afford her current insurance premium deduction, can they cancel the coverage?

The new rules announced in Notice 2020-29 do not provide any relief to employees who want to drop their coverage but not replace it with other coverage.  Employees who wish to drop their coverage must certify to the employer that they are immediately replacing that coverage with other coverage.  Employers can rely on the employee's signed certification unless they have knowledge that the certification is not true.

The prior mid-year change of status rules offered a potential solution for this individual but it is very narrow so it may not apply.  If an individual was working more than 30 hours per week and was enrolled in coverage but then had their hours reduced to less than 30 hours per week but remained eligible for coverage, that individual would be allowed to drop their coverage.  The hour limits in the rule are very specific which is why so few employees are able to take advantage of this provision.