CHIR Faculty

Consumers Should Resist the Urge to Do Nothing and Renew Coverage through the Federal Marketplace

Posted November 13, 2014 by CHIR Faculty

Saturday, November 15th marks the start of open enrollment in the ACA’s health insurance marketplaces. Of the 9.9 million that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services projects will enroll into 2015 coverage, over 7 million of them are current enrollees who need to have their coverage renewed. In a new issue brief, our Center for Children and Families colleague, Tricia Brooks, outlines what the renewal and eligibility re-determination process is likely to look like for those in the federally facilitated marketplaces.

The Family Glitch Persists, Affordability Measure Increases to 9.56% in OE2

Posted November 11, 2014 by CHIR Faculty

With open enrollment into the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance marketplaces just around the corner, one trouble spot continues to be the so-called “family glitch,” in which spouses and dependents of individuals with access to employer-based coverage are ineligible for premium tax credits, even if that employer coverage is unaffordable to them. In her latest blog post, our Center for Children and Families colleague, Tricia Brooks, discusses how the family glitch will soon be even more difficult for families to overcome.

Raising the Curtain on Open Enrollment, Round Two

Posted October 30, 2014 by CHIR Faculty

The second open enrollment period for the health insurance marketplaces, or OE2, is mere days away. Our colleague at Georgetown’s Center for Children and Families, Tricia Brooks, takes a look behind the curtain and gives us a glimpse of what we can expect.

Strengthening the Summary of Benefits and Coverage as a Consumer Tool

Posted October 22, 2014 by CHIR Faculty

The Affordable Care Act requires all insurers to provide a Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) so that consumers have a tool to help them understand what is covered under their health plan. Unfortunately, minimal oversight of this requirement has led this tool to be less useful than it could be, at a time many consumers struggle with basic health insurance literacy. CHIR’s Sandy Ahn highlights the efforts of one state – Utah – to strengthen the SBC and make it more meaningful for consumers.

Employer Coverage Remains Steady, But Long Term Trends Highlight Need To Strengthen All Forms Of Coverage

Posted October 13, 2014 by CHIR Faculty

A recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation finds that employer coverage is remaining steady, and premiums have increased only modestly. But long term trends suggest an erosion in employer-sponsored health benefits. CHIR’s Sean Miskell takes the pulse of employment-based insurance and emphasizes the need to strengthen all pillars of coverage.

Helping States Address Transparency of Health Plan Provider Networks

Posted October 10, 2014 by CHIR Faculty

During the past few months, CHIR faculty have examined the proliferation of narrow provider networks associated with plans on the health insurance marketplaces. Here, Sally McCarty discusses lessons learned and potential solutions offered by two faculty work products.

Advocates File Civil Rights Complaint with HHS on Coverage Termination Day

Posted October 5, 2014 by CHIR Faculty

Last week, on the day that 115,000 people who bought coverage in the federal marketplace lost that coverage, the National Immigration Law Center filed complaints with HHS’s Office for Civil Rights alleging that the federally facilitated marketplace violated civil rights law and the Affordable Care Act’s anti-discrimination provisions. Our colleague at Georgetown’s Center for Children and Families, Sonya Schwartz, analyzes the concerns that underlie these filings.

Taking Stock and Taking Steps to Improve Consumer Assistance

Posted October 4, 2014 by CHIR Faculty

A new report released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Kaiser Family Foundation chronicles the challenges, innovations and lessons learned about the needs of consumers for assistance in accessing and using health coverage options under the Affordable Care Act. Our partner in our Navigator technical assistance project, the Georgetown Center for Children and Families’ Tricia Brooks, has this overview.

New Issue Brief Reviews Employee Choice in Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) Marketplaces

Posted September 22, 2014 by CHIR Faculty

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) aims to improve access to health insurance coverage for small-business employees by creating a Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) Marketplace in every state. One key feature of SHOP Marketplaces is employee choice whereby employees can select among multiple insurers and plans for health insurance coverage that best suits their needs. CHIR’s Sarah Dash and Kevin Lucia review how SHOPs are implementing employee choice in a new Health Policy Brief published by Health Affairs.

Question on Stand-alone Dental Plans and Upcoming Open Enrollment

Posted September 15, 2014 by CHIR Faculty

With the change in weather, we’re beginning to field questions related to the upcoming 2015 Open Enrollment period as part of our technical assistance work funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. We recently received a question about the consequences of not paying premiums for stand-alone dental plans (SADP) in federally based Marketplaces. Sandy Ahn provides a summary on this issue.