Author Archive: CHIR Faculty
3-Year Navigator Grants Will Provide Stability to Enrollment Assistance
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has published the first indications of where it intends to take the Navigator program for the Affordable Care Act’s insurance exchanges. Some new policies could bring some much needed stability to in-person consumer assistance. Our colleague at Georgetown’s Center for Children and Families, Tricia Brooks, has the details.
CHIR Expert Testifies at Ways & Means Committee Hearing on the Affordable Care Act
The U.S. House of Representatives’ Ways & Means Committee held a hearing on the individual and employer responsibility requirements in the Affordable Care Act. CHIR’s own Sabrina Corlette was an invited witness and provided testimony on the law’s impact on consumers’ access to affordable, high quality health coverage.
The Affordable Care Act and Entrepreneurship
Recent media articles touted the news that Senator Ted Cruz was planning to sign up for health insurance through one of the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance exchanges. Our colleague Sean Miskell notes that this is an example of the law working as intended, freeing people to pursue their professional hopes and dreams, without fear of losing job-based health coverage.
New Survey of Physicians Finds ACA Did Not Result in Influx of New Patients
A new report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Athenahealth finds that the newly insured under the Affordable Care Act did not result in an influx of new patients for physicians. Current medical student and guest blogger Mason Weber summarizes the main findings of the report, which surveyed approximately 16,000 physicians. He also offers his own perspective as a physician-to-be about the lack of discourse on a physicians’ ability to provide care effectively within the larger healthcare reform debate.
Some Changes in Store for 2016 Health Plans that Affect Consumers
While open enrollment for 2015 has ended, insurers and marketplaces alike are gearing up for 2016 with federal guidance outlined under the 2016 Letter to Issuers and 2016 Benefits and Payment Parameters Final Rule. Sandy Ahn summarizes some of the changes in store for 2016 health plans that affect consumers.
New Report Finds ACA Had Little Impact on Employer-Sponsored Health Plan Enrollment
Final Rule on Wraparound Coverage as an Excepted Benefit
The Obama administration released a final rule providing the requirements for wraparound coverage to qualify as an excepted benefit. Excepted benefits are generally exempt from the Affordable Care Act market rules and popular with employers who want to offer additional benefits. CHIR’s Sandy Ahn provides a summary of the rule.
The Affordable Care Act CO-OP Program: Facing Both Barriers and Opportunities for More Competitive Health Insurance Markets
The recent financial troubles of some CO-OP plans created under the Affordable Care Act have sparked questions about the long-term viability of the program. In their latest blog post for the Commonwealth Fund, CHIR experts Sabrina Corlette, Kevin Lucia, Justin Giovannelli and Sean Miskell assess the current status of the CO-OP program, challenges to success, and prospects for the future.
Confused about What Happens at Tax Time? FAQs on Penalties, Exemptions, Reconciliation, and SEPs
As part of a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded project to help navigators and assisters in five states, faculty at Georgetown’s CHIR and the Center for Children and Families have been getting a lot of tax-related questions lately. Tricia Brooks, Sandy Ahn, Sabrina Corlette and JoAnn Volk share answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.