CMS recently released their draft Notice of Benefit & Payment Parameters (NBPP) for plan year 2026. In their latest piece for Health Affairs Forefront, Sabrina Corlette and Jason Levitis discuss what this means for Marketplaces, insurance reforms and Advance Premium Tax Credits (APTCs.)
The 2021 expansion of federal premium tax credits (PTCs) drove uninsured rates to a record low in 2023, but this critical financial assistance will expire after 2025 unless Congress acts. CHIR faculty Rachel Swindle and Justin Giovannelli talk more about this in their latest issue brief for the Commonwealth Fund.
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.
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 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.
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.
Earlier this summer, the Biden administration announced updated guidance on medical debt. In a new blog post for the Commonwealth Fund, CHIR faculty, Maanasa Kona, reviews recent state action on medical debt and what this landscape looks like moving forward.
A debate is looming for the U.S. Congress – whether or not to extend enhanced premium tax credits for Affordable Care Act insurance coverage. In their latest article for Health Affairs, Jason Levitis, Sabrina Corlette, and Claire O’Brien identify several reasons Congress needs to act as soon as possible to preserve coverage and prevent a spike in premiums.
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.
The No Surprises Act (NSA) protects consumers from unexpected medical bills, with disputes between payers and providers settled through independent dispute resolution (IDR). CHIR’s Jack Hoadley and Kennah Watts review the latest results from the IDR process and discuss the ongoing legal and regulatory challenges affecting the NSA.
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.
