New ACA rules give insurers greater flexibility to meet metal level targets and increase cost-sharing. In this post, JoAnn Volk looks at what that means for consumers and state options for implementing the rule.
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The National Association of Insurance Commissioners wrapped up its Spring National meeting, and the ACA was on the agenda – but it was definitely a moving target. That’s because the meeting agenda was set before the House of Representatives pulled a bill to repeal and replace the ACA. As a result, the planned discussion over the AHCA had to be adjusted to encompass a broader look at potential administrative, legislative, and market factors that could affect the ACA’s future. CHIR’s JoAnn Volk shares some highlights from the meeting. Continue reading
Job-based plans cover 150 million people in the U.S. If the ACA is repealed, they stand to lose critical consumer protections that many have come to expect of their employer plan.
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The NAIC wrapped up its Fall National Meeting last week, and although there was little of the upcoming ACA debate on the official agenda, the topic dominated the hallway chatter. JoAnn Volk provides a report on the meeting.
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Access to prescription drugs is critically important to millions of individuals and families nationwide, but too often cost places them out of reach. At the NAIC’s summer national meeting, the consumer representatives to the NAIC released a report on state and federal regulatory options for promoting access to prescription drugs. JoAnn Volk shares highlights here. Continue reading
In the waning days of the Obama Administration, Affordable Care Act regulations continue to trickle out. A recent one from the Internal Revenue Service feels a little like a solution in search of a problem. JoAnn Volk takes a look. Continue reading
We at CHIR are excited to announce the arrival of Dania Palanker, a nationally recognized expert on private insurance and benefit design. Please join us in welcoming Dania to our team. Continue reading
As ACA opponents continue to vilify, challenge and undermine the law, four states that have been vocal opponents of the law have taken action recently to enforce federal rules, protect consumers and stabilize their markets. JoAnn Volk sums up the state action.
HHS released the final Section 1557 rule, completing the suite of non-discrimination rules that constitute some of the most dramatic recent changes in health insurance regulation. JoAnn Volk looks at how the rules stack up in protecting consumers with pre-existing conditions.
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The ACA prohibits benefit limits and cost sharing that discriminate against individuals based on health status and other factors, but federal rules also stress that insurers can continue to use reasonable medical management, which would allow benefit limits based on certain circumstances. JoAnn Volk looks at what this may mean for regulators and consumers trying to tell the difference.
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