Author Archive: CHIR Faculty

Stakeholder Perspectives on Round Three of CMS’s 2022 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters. Part 1: State Insurance Departments and Marketplaces

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The Biden administration is signaling significant changes for the Affordable Care Act marketplaces with its proposed 2022 “Notice of Benefit & Payment Parameters.” In the first of a three-part series, CHIR’s Rachel Schwab and Rachel Swindle reviewed public comments from state insurance departments and marketplaces about the impact of the new policies. Reviews of comments from insurers and consumer organizations will follow.

State “Easy Enrollment” Programs Gain Momentum, Lay Groundwork for Additional Efforts to Expand Coverage

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The American Rescue Plan made health insurance more affordable, but covering the 30 million remaining uninsured will require innovative efforts to broadcast and facilitate enrollment in subsidized insurance. To that end, several states, following an inaugural effort in Maryland, have proposed or are implementing a new avenue to enrollment through the tax-filing process. In a new post for the Commonwealth Fund’s To the Point blog, CHIR experts take a look at states that are operating or implementing “Easy Enrollment” programs, and how they may offer a bridge to more ambitious initiatives like automatic enrollment.

Restraining Balance Billing by Air Ambulance Providers: CHIR Keeps Up with Federal Advisory Committee and Regulatory Actions

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Air ambulances are the source of some of the largest unexpected medical bills faced by consumers. Before it passed the No Surprises Act, Congress created an advisory committee on air ambulance billing practices. CHIR’s Madeline O’Brien and JoAnn Volk take a look at this committee’s work and what it might mean for future federal policymaking.

State Efforts to Standardize Marketplace Health Plans Show How the Biden Administration Could Improve Value and Reduce Disparities

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The federal government is moving forward with standardized benefit designs via HealthCare.gov, following in the footsteps of several states. In their latest post for the Commonwealth Fund’s To the Point blog, CHIR experts Justin Giovannelli, Rachel Schwab, and Kevin Lucia assess the experience of these states with standardized plans and draw lessons for federal officials.

State Public Option–Style Laws: What Policymakers Need to Know

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In recent months, Washington, Colorado, and Nevada, have enacted public option-style laws aimed at containing costs and increasing access to health insurance coverage. In a new post for the Commonwealth Fund, CHIR experts Christine Monahan, Kevin Lucia, and Justin Giovannelli examine these efforts and their implications for federal and state policymakers.

Banning Surprise Bills: Biden Administration Issues First Rule On The No Surprises Act

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When Congress enacted the “No Surprises Act” last year to ban unexpected out-of-network medical bills, it was left to the Biden administration to implement these historic consumer protections. CHIR’s Katie Keith, Jack Hoadley, and Kevin Lucia provide a detailed summary of the first round of federal rules flowing from this new law in their latest post for the Health Affairs blog.

New Georgetown Report: States’ Actions to Expand Telemedicine Access During COVID-19 and Future Policy Considerations

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, many states temporarily lowered barriers to using telemedicine for health care services. Subsequently, a number of states have taken action to make those changes permanent. In their latest report for the Commonwealth Fund, CHIR experts examine this emerging body of state law and its potential impact on the use of health care services, costs, and outcomes.

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.