Utilization management is one tool that insurers can use to help keep premiums in check, but it comes with significant tradeoffs for patients. CHIR’s Megan Houston considers the history and current landscape of utilization management tools, what they are used for and what policymakers are doing to keep them in check.
Health insurers reported healthy earnings during the fourth quarter of 2021, thanks in large part to publicly funded programs Medicare and Medicaid. CHIR’s Megan Houston reviewed earnings reports for nine major insurers and reports on the key market trends in the health insurance industry.
Insurers are still required to fully cover COVID-19 testing, but finding a free test is a lot more difficult than it was last year. As we approach holiday gatherings, the need for affordable and accessible COVID-19 testing is critical. CHIR’s Megan Houston reviews the current state of COVID-19 testing coverage and considers what might be done to improve accessibility.
In the newly proposed 2022 “Notice of Benefit & Payment Parameters” the Biden Administration is reversing course on a number of policies that impact the ACA marketplaces. In the second of a three-part series, CHIR’s Megan Houston reviewed public comments from insurers about the proposed rule. Reviews of comments from consumer organizations will follow.
In the second quarter of 2020 insurers made significant profits in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, insurers are struggling to balance the increased demand from deferred care and the costs associated with COVID-19 as the delta variant surges across the country. CHIR’s Megan Houston reviewed findings from the second quarter earnings reports to see what executives were telling investors about their predictions.
As Congress considers a variety of proposals to address prescription drug prices, there is a growing trend of states capping the out of pocket costs for insulin. CHIR’s Megan Houston considers the impact of insulin copay caps and how states are limited in their efforts to tackle prescription drug prices.
Starting July 1, those who faced a job loss in 2021 may be eligible for extra financial assistance on the marketplace. CHIR’s Megan Houston breaks down this provision of the American Rescue Plan and how consumers can access these benefits.
Colorado’s legislature is debating a proposal to curb health insurance premiums that some are calling a “public option.” CHIR’s Megan Houston takes a look at the bill and what it might mean for Coloradan’s access to affordable coverage options.
Colorado lawmakers recently announced that hospital and health plans had agreed to remain “neutral” on the state’s proposal for a public option plan. That’s in part because Colorado is hoping the industry will voluntarily achieve spending reductions, without state intervention. CHIR’s Megan Houston assesses how that approach is working in other states that have tried it.
Insurer’s fourth quarter earnings showed a decline in profits after the surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations at the end of the year. CHIR’s Megan Houston considers how the pandemic has impacted health plans and how this fits into overall trends from the past year.
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.
