Author Archive: CHIR Faculty
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.
New to the Affordable Care Act, or Need a Refresher? ACA 101 Briefing Has What You Need to Know

A recent briefing hosted by the Alliance for Health Reform and the Kaiser Family Foundation offered Congressional staff and stakeholders a primer on the Affordable Care Act. CHIR’s own Sabrina Corlette joined the panel of experts to walk people through the key private market provisions of this groundbreaking and controversial law.
Latest in CHIR Video Series: Special Enrollment Opportunities for Affordable Care Act Coverage

More states are establishing new special enrollment opportunities to help people gain coverage through the marketplaces. In our latest video about timely health insurance topics, CHIR experts Sandy Ahn and Justin Giovannelli discuss how state-based and federal marketplaces have used special enrollment periods to boost enrollment,
We Say Goodbye to a Visionary, Fighter and Friend
The Latest on Special Enrollment Periods: An Assessment of State Approaches in 2014 and Update for 2015

Special enrollment is available to individuals who experience qualifying events allowing them to enroll into marketplace coverage. A new issue brief co-authored by CHIR’s Sandy Ahn and Kevin Lucia, along with authors from the Urban Institute, found that special enrollment systems and procedures were still a work in progress in five state-based marketplaces last year. Sandy and Kevin also discuss additional SEPs available this year.
After a Slow Start, Federal Small Business Health Insurance Marketplace Offers New and Improved Functions

With intense focus on enrollment in the Affordable Care Act marketplaces, enrollment through the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) has flown under the radar by comparison. In their latest blog post for the Commonwealth Fund, Kevin Lucia, Justin Giovannelli and Sean Miskell discuss early challenges for the SHOP as well as recent improvements.
Critiquing the Performance as the Curtain Closes on OE2

The second open enrollment period (often called OE2) under the Affordable Care Act has come to its formal close. Our colleague at Georgetown’s Center for Children and Families, Tricia Brooks, provides her review of OE2 – and some tips on how the marketplaces could improve their performance for next year.