The year 2015 marks the 10-year anniversary of the Medicare prescription drug benefit program, known as Medicare Part D. Our colleague Jack Hoadley looks back at the rocky early beginnings of that program and shares lessons for the Affordable Care Act. Continue reading
Recently, the Obama administration extended the enrollment period for people who’ve faced roadblocks in their attempts to sign up for a health plan by March 31. Some observers have compared this action to the flexibility exercised by the Bush administration in the roll out of Medicare Part D. Others say it was quite different. Our Georgetown Health Policy Institute colleague and Medicare expert Jack Hoadley cuts through the rhetoric and points us to the precedents to pay attention to. Continue reading
Opponents of the Affordable Care Act are latching onto the law’s “3Rs” (risk corridors, risk adjustment, and reinsurance) as a “bailout” for insurers. Yet one of the models for the 3Rs is the Medicare Part D drug benefit, where these programs have been working for years to help stabilize premiums. Georgetown University Health Policy Institute’s Jack Hoadley provides some context – and strong evidence that the 3Rs are in place to protect beneficiaries and taxpayers – not bail out health plans. Continue reading
Shopping for and selecting a new health coverage plan can be challenging for many consumers. One government program – Medicare Part D – recently announced a new policy to make the process of selecting a prescription drug plan easier for beneficiaries. Sabrina Corlette compares the Medicare approach to that taken by the health insurance marketplaces – and shares new CHIR research on state actions to simplify consumers’ shopping experiences. Continue reading
Now that healthcare.gov is finally working, attention is turning to challenges people might face as they start seeking health care services. In his latest blog, Georgetown University Health Policy Institute’s Jack Hoadley discusses how Medicare officials responded to post-enrollment glitches in Part D – and provides some lessons learned for the ACA roll out. Continue reading
The Obama Administration will soon release the first month enrollment figures for the new health insurance marketplaces. To put these early numbers in perspective, our Georgetown University Health Policy Institute colleague Jack Hoadley reflects on the Medicare Part D experience. Continue reading
The criticisms of the launch of the ACA’s marketplaces continue to roll in, with some charging that enrollment is anemic. But what enrollment expectations are reasonable, and within what time frame? Georgetown University Health Policy Institute’s Jack Hoadley looks at the enrollment experience in Medicare Part D for some historical perspective. Continue reading
The new health insurance marketplaces created under the Affordable Care Act had a bumpy launch this week, overwhelmed with traffic, and with many interested shoppers facing technical glitches comparing plans and enrolling in coverage. But this wasn’t the first time an administration faced challenges rolling out a key domestic policy priority. Jack Hoadley of Georgetown University’s Health Policy reminds us in this blog that Medicare Part D’s web-based plan comparison tool faced similar technical problems. Continue reading
The new health insurance marketplaces open for business today. In a blog originally posted on The Commonwealth Fund blog, Kevin Lucia, Sabrina Corlette and Sarah Dash remind us that while the marketplaces, like all start-ups, are likely to experience some early glitches, for the millions who have been shut out of coverage because of a pre-existing condition or an inability to afford insurance, we are entering a new era of consumer-focused health insurance. Continue reading
There’s been a lot of angst lately about strategic decisions by the Obama Administration to delay elements of the Affordable Care Act. In a blog that originally appeared on the Hill’s Congress blog, Sabrina Corlette and her Georgetown colleague Jack Hoadley note that the Bush Administration made similar decisions to delay, phase-in, and waive key elements of the Medicare Part D law in response to implementation challenges. Continue reading