Implementing the Affordable Care Act

Navigator Guide FAQs Of The Week: Who is Eligible for Financial Assistance?

Posted February 24, 2021 by Nia Gooding

President Biden has recently signed an executive order to re-open the federal marketplace for a COVID-19 Special Enrollment Period. The CHIR team will be highlighting a selection of relevant frequently asked questions (FAQs) from our recently updated Navigator Resource Guide for uninsured consumers who are seeking health coverage during this time. In this installation, we answer FAQs about financial assistance that may be available to some individuals and families.

An Opportunity to Protect Consumers and Ensure a Level Playing Field: Reversing Trump-era Rules on Association Health Plans

Posted February 24, 2021 by CHIR Faculty

An executive order from President Biden is likely to prompt a review of Trump administration rules encouraging association health plans (AHPs) exempt from critical Affordable Care Act protections. CHIR’s Sabrina Corlette and Kevin Lucia assess what’s at stake and share thoughts on optimal federal policy going forward.

Workplace Wellness Programs Have Overlooked Health Equity

Posted February 22, 2021 by CHIR Faculty

One of President Biden’s first executive actions was to require the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to withdraw regulations governing workplace wellness programs. CHIR’s Julie Zuckerbrod considers how these programs can exacerbate racial and ethnic inequities in health care access and outcomes, and opportunities for the Biden administration to advance equity-focused regulations.

Health Insurance Companies Spent Millions to Defeat the Affordable Care Act. Now They’re Embracing Policies to Expand It.

Posted February 11, 2021 by Megan Houston

Health insurers spent millions to defeat the ACA in 2010. Ten years later, major insurers are joining a growing coalition of supporters working to expand the law. CHIR expert Megan Houston considers why insurers are now embracing the ACA while Democrats now control Congress for the first time since the ACA was passed a decade ago.

Stakeholder Perspectives on CMS’s 2022 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters. Part 3: Consumer Advocates

Posted January 26, 2021 by Nia Gooding

In the third and final part of our blog series reviewing stakeholder comments on the 2022 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters (NBPP), CHIR’s Nia Gooding examines responses from various consumer advocacy organizations and coalitions on some recently finalized proposals.

Navigator Guide FAQs of The Week: How to Use Your Coverage

Posted January 25, 2021 by Nia Gooding

Open Enrollment has ended in most states, and many consumers have signed up for a health insurance plan offered on the marketplace. In this installation, the CHIR team has compiled a number of frequently asked questions (FAQs) from our Navigator Resource Guide to help inform enrolled consumers on how best to use their coverage.

Stakeholder Perspectives on CMS’s 2022 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters. Part 2: State Insurance Departments and Marketplaces

Posted January 25, 2021 by Rachel Schwab

In one of the Trump administration’s last acts, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services finalized some of the major provisions of the 2022 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters. In the second part of our blog series reviewing stakeholder comments, CHIR’s Rachel Schwab takes a look at how state insurance departments and state-based marketplaces responded to some of the recently finalized proposals.

December Research Roundup: What We’re Reading

Posted January 15, 2021 by Nia Gooding

We at CHIR are excited to ring in the New Year with new health insurance research! In December we reviewed studies on health care spending, marketplace subsidies for employer plans, public opinions on a COVID-19 vaccination, and the structure of health plan networks.

Stakeholder Perspectives on CMS’s 2022 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters. Part 1: Insurers

Posted January 14, 2021 by Megan Houston

As stakeholders wait for the final 2022 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters (NBPP) CHIR’s Megan Houston reviews the key takeaways from the comments submitted by insurance carriers.

Unpacking The No Surprises Act: An Opportunity To Protect Millions

Posted January 7, 2021 by CHIR Faculty

Congress included the No Surprises Act in the omnibus spending bill that was passed and signed into law by President Trump on December 27, 2020. The bill protects patients from unexpected bills for out-of-network emergency and other services consumers are unable to agree to in advance. Georgetown experts Jack Hoadley, Katie Keith, and Kevin Lucia unpack the legislation in a blog post for Health Affairs.