CHIR Welcomes New Faculty & Staff, Jalisa Clark & Emma Walsh-Alker
We’re delighted to welcome to the CHIR team our two newest colleagues, Research Fellow Jalisa Clark, M.P.H., and Research Associate Emma Walsh-Alker.
Author Archive: CHIR Faculty
Changes to Wellness Programs Suggest Employers are Rethinking Health Promotion
January can feel like a time for new beginnings, and new year’s resolutions. In recent years, many employers have provided workplace wellness programs that may help employees stick with these resolutions, such as benefits, services, or financial incentives that encourage workers to improve their health. Recent data from KFF’s 2021 Employer Health Benefit Survey showing that employers are reconsidering key elements of their wellness initiatives prompted CHIR to take a look at some of the changes—and ongoing issues—with workplace wellness programs.
Encouraging Signs for the Public Option in Washington State: Improved Availability and Affordability of Plans in 2022
This open enrollment, Washington State residents can once again purchase first-in-the-nation public option-style plans. Last year, Washington’s publicly procured plans—touted as a mechanism to improve affordability and competition in the marketplace—were less available and more expensive than proponents had hoped. In 2022, the second year of the program, these plans will offer average rate decreases and are available in a greater number of counties, an encouraging sign for the viability of Washington’s public option.
Filling a Gap in the No Surprises Act: What are States Doing to Protect Consumers from Out-of-Network Ground Ambulance Bills?
In January, the No Surprises Act will provide landmark protections against surprise billing, but ground ambulance services are excluded from the new safeguards. In a post for the Commonwealth Fund’s To the Point blog, CHIR experts discuss challenges related to ground ambulance reimbursement and state strategies for protecting consumers from surprise bills.
The No Surprises Act Interim Final Rule on Dispute Resolution, Uninsured Protections, and External Review: Implications for States
Last month, the Biden administration published a third rule implementing the No Surprises Act, the comprehensive federal law banning balance bills in emergency and certain non-emergency settings beginning January 1, 2022. The interim final rule (IFR) provides details on the independent dispute resolution process, protections for uninsured patients, and more. In a new Expert Perspective for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s State Health & Value Strategies program, CHIR experts provide a summary of the IFR, identifying implications and considerations for states.
New and Improved Navigator Resource Guide Answers Common Enrollment Questions, Spotlights Innovative Outreach for Communities of Focus
Just in time for Open Enrollment, CHIR updated and improved the Navigator Resource Guide, a practical, hands-on resource with over 300 frequently asked questions, state-specific fact sheets, a spotlight on outreach strategies, and more.
October Research Roundup: What We’re Reading
In our newest monthly roundup of health policy research, CHIR intern Madison Berry reviews studies evaluating the impact of extending the American Rescue Plan’s subsidy expansion, COVID-19’s effect on health spending, and the importance of continuous marketplace coverage for pregnant people.
Misleading Marketing of Non-ACA Health Plans Continued During COVID-19 Special Enrollment Period
Millions of Americans are eligible for health insurance plans with low or no premiums and significantly reduced cost-sharing this coming open enrollment, but misleading marketing practices may direct some consumers to alternative plans that lack the Affordable Care Act’s protections. Researchers at CHIR recently replicated a previous secret shopper study to determine if consumers shopping for comprehensive coverage during the COVID-19 special enrollment period were still being directed to these alternative plans.
A Long-term Financing Solution for Mobile Crisis Services
Policymakers increasingly recognize the need for alternatives to law enforcement-driven responses to behavioral health crises. In a new issue brief for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s State Health & Value Strategies program, CHIR teamed up with experts from Manatt Health to provide recommendations for a hybrid coverage and funding approach for mobile crisis services.
What’s New for 2022 Marketplace Enrollment?
Open Enrollment is just around the corner. There are new policies for the marketplace in 2022, including an expansion of opportunities to sign up for health coverage during and outside the annual open enrollment period. As a preview to our updated Navigator Resource Guide, CHIR provides a summary of some changes that may affect people enrolling in marketplace plans.