Category: Implementing the Affordable Care Act

As Maryland Charts a New Course for Lowering Barriers to Coverage, Feds Could Raise Them

Maryland is implementing a program that offers a new, easy way to enroll in comprehensive and affordable health insurance. At the same time, the federal government is considering ending auto renewal in the marketplaces, which facilitates millions of enrollments each year. CHIR’s Rachel Schwab takes a look at Maryland’s new program, and how state and federal enrollment policy can impact consumers’ access to coverage.

New Georgetown CHIR Report: In Trump Era, States Revisit the Benefits and Risks of Running Their Own Health Care Marketplace

Half a dozen states have announced they will transition from HealthCare.gov to their own, state-run health insurance marketplaces. In a new report with the Urban Institute, CHIR researchers assess states’ reasons for making the switch, risks and benefits, and considerations for policymakers in other states contemplating a similar move.

September Research Round Up: What We’re Reading

For the September Research Round Up, CHIR’s Olivia Hoppe dives into studies on trends in employer health benefits, potential effects of value-based purchasing, and how hospital consolidation affects prices across the country.

Swimming against the Tide: Policies in State-Based Marketplace States Help Counter Negative Trends in Uninsurance Rates

The latest U.S. Census data show the uninsured rate for nonelderly adults is rising,  including among middle- and higher-income people who do not qualify for Affordable Care Act premium subsidies. Such an increase is partly attributable to policies implemented by the Trump administration to undermine the ACA. CHIR’s Olivia Hoppe explains that when it comes to individual market enrollment, however, national numbers mask significant differences in state-to-state performance.

States Leaning In: Colorado

This year several states have taken an increasingly active role in expanding health insurance coverage, overseeing their insurance markets, and protecting consumers. Perhaps no state did more in 2019 than Colorado, which enacted a dizzying array of health insurance bills. CHIR’s Rachel Schwab takes a look in this installment of States Leaning In.

August Research Round Up: What We’re Reading

This August, CHIR’s Olivia Hoppe summarized helpful resources on premiums and cost-sharing for working families, interventions to increase enrollment, the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on coverage gaps, and surprise billing prevalence.

New Addition to Advocate Toolkit Highlights Options for Protecting Consumers Amidst Expansion of Short-Term Plans

In July, a federal district court judge upheld the Trump administration’s rule expanding availability of short-term, limited duration insurance, or short-term plans, which do not have to comply with the Affordable Care Act’s consumer protections. With the help of CHIR experts, Community Catalyst has published another resource for state advocates and policymakers, providing an overview of short-term plans, insight on unscrupulous sales practices that leave consumers at risk, and state regulatory options.

July Research Round Up: What We’re Reading

This July, CHIR’s Olivia Hoppe reviewed new studies on coverage gains for workers, the evolution of Accountable Care Organizations, and the effects of the Affordable Care Act’s Medical Loss Ratio rule.

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.