Author Archive: CHIR Faculty

Navigator Guide FAQs of the Week: Marketplace Coverage Issues for LGBTQI+ Individuals

Posted by

It’s time to sign up for 2024 coverage on the Affordable Care Act’s Marketplaces. This week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is spotlighting how the Marketplaces can serve LGBTQI+ individuals, a community that has historically faced discriminatory barriers to health insurance and health care. Here are a few frequently asked questions (FAQs) from CHIR’s Navigator Resource Guide about some Marketplace coverage issues that LGBTQI+ individuals may face.

Navigator Guide FAQs of the Week: Comparing Plans

Posted by

The deadline to sign up for Marketplace coverage that begins January 1 is fast approaching. This week, we’re spotlighting frequently asked questions (FAQs) from our Navigator Resource Guide about how to compare benefits and out-of-pocket costs across Marketplace plans.

In An Era Of Premium And Provider Price Increases, State Employee Health Plans Target Key Cost Drivers

Posted by

It’s open enrollment season for many employer health plans, and the rising cost of care may increase workers’ premiums and out-of-pocket expenditures. Recently, CHIR surveyed state employee health plans (SEHP) to identify challenges and opportunities for controlling health care costs. In a new post for Health Affairs Forefront, Sabrina Corlette and Karen Davenport discuss the survey findings and how SEHP strategies can inform broader cost containment efforts.

Navigator Guide FAQs of the Week: Who is Eligible for Marketplace Coverage?

Posted by

November 1 marked the first day of the Marketplace Open Enrollment Period in most states. CHIR recently updated its Navigator Resource Guide, and we’ll be highlighting frequently asked questions (FAQs) from the Navigator Guide throughout the annual enrollment window. This week, we’re taking a look at who is eligible for Marketplace plans.

Facility Fees 101: What is all the Fuss About?

Posted by

Consumers are facing higher out-of-pocket costs when they receive outpatient care due to hospital “facility fees.” In a post for Health Affairs Forefront, Linda Blumberg and Christine Monahan provide a primer on facility fees, including the trend of hospital consolidation driving these fees and federal policy options to protect consumers from rising costs in outpatient settings.

State Health Equity Initiatives Confront Decades of Racism in the Insurance Industry

Posted by

As another Marketplace Open Enrollment Period begins, millions of Americans will turn to insurance brokers to guide them to affordable and comprehensive health insurance. In a new post for the Commonwealth Fund, CHIR’s Jalisa Clark and Christine Monahan look into the underrepresentation of people of color in the broker profession and the clients they serve, including the historical origins of these racial disparities and how the Affordable Care Act Marketplaces are intervening.

Uneven Ground: Differences in Language Access Across State-Based Marketplaces

Posted by

The annual Marketplace Open Enrollment Period is just around the corner. Enrolling in health insurance can be a challenge, especially for the millions of Americans with limited English proficiency (LEP). In a new issue brief for the Commonwealth Fund, CHIR experts document how the Affordable Care Act’s Marketplaces are facilitating access to health insurance information for LEP individuals, identify persistent gaps in language services, and recommend federal policies to improve language access in the Marketplaces.

Policy Experts Discuss Strategies to Keep Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance Afloat

Posted by

On October 3, CHIR held the first in a series of in-person policy briefings on the future of employer-sponsored insurance (ESI), sponsored by Arnold Ventures and West Health. The event, featuring remarks from U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan and a panel discussion moderated by Sarah Kliff of The New York Times, spotlighted state cost containment policies and employer strategies to inform the federal policy process concerning ESI, which covers almost half of all Americans.

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.