Author Archive: CHIR Faculty

Substantial Marketplace Coverage Gains for Communities of Color Threatened Again

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The Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces have become vital lifelines for millions, especially for communities of color, significantly reducing the uninsured rate and expanding access to affordable coverage. However, the future of these marketplaces hangs in the balance, with political priorities influencing their stability and funding, particularly regarding federal subsidies. As the 2024 election cycle approaches, the choices voters make could reinforce the progress achieved or risk undoing critical health care coverage advancements.

September Research Roundup: What We’re Reading

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While the weather may be cooling down, the research is not! This month we read about Medicare Advantage quality bonus payments, out-of-pocket drug costs for consumers, effects of enhanced premium tax credits on older adults, and strategies to increase eligibility verification and receipt of Marketplace subsidies.

CHIR Expert Testifies About Facility Fees Before Texas House Insurance Committee

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CHIR expert Christine Monahan recently testified before the Texas House Insurance Committee regarding outpatient facility fee billing. Her research highlights how facility fees contribute to significantly higher healthcare costs. In her testimony, she discussed measures to curtail hospital billing tactics that inflate costs and ways to mitigate financial burdens on patients.

Current Considerations for State Reinsurance Programs

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Reinsurance has been a popular mechanism to stabilize insurance markets and reduce premiums. However, some argue that it could negatively affect affordability and enrollment for low-income individuals. In a new article for the State Health & Value Strategies program, Jason Levitis, Sabrina Corlette, and Claire O’Brien review the evidence and discuss considerations for state reinsurance programs.

Taking a Look at California’s Program to Assist People Losing Medi-Cal Enroll in Marketplace Coverage

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A recently enacted law creates a streamlined pathway to health insurance for individuals who are found ineligible for Medi-Cal but are likely eligible for Marketplace subsidies. In a recent report, CHIR experts assess the critical policy and operational decisions to implement the program and how these choices have affected consumers’ coverage transitions.

Biden Administration Proposes Rule To Ban Medical Debt From Credit Reporting

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In response to widespread concerns about the impact of medical debt, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) proposed a rule in June 2024 aimed at limiting the influence of medical debt on credit reports and preventing certain debt collection practices. Despite recent changes by credit agencies to exclude small medical debts from reports, many Americans still face significant medical debt, particularly affecting vulnerable populations. In a recent piece for Health Affairs Forefront, Georgetown experts examine this proposed rule and the effect it could have on consumers.

Enforcing Mental Health Parity: State Options to Improve Access to Care

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The 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) is the primary federal law protecting access to behavioral health care for privately insured Americans. In a new issue brief for the Commonwealth Fund, CHIR experts interviewed insurance regulators in ten states to identify the tools state regulators are using for MHPAEA oversight and enforcement, as well as the barriers they are facing.

The opinions expressed here are solely those of the individual blog post authors and do not represent the views of Georgetown University, the Center on Health Insurance Reforms, any organization that the author is affiliated with, or the opinions of any other author who publishes on this blog.