Implementing the Affordable Care Act

A Perfect Storm: New Federal Rules on Health Reimbursement Arrangements Exacerbate Dangers of Unregulated Products

Posted August 2, 2019 by Rachel Schwab

Next year, new Trump administration rules will allow employers to offer their employees an HRA to buy individual market coverage instead of a traditional group health plan. Because of an obscure provision of the tax code, many employees will be required to use the new accounts to shop for a plan outside of the ACA’s marketplaces, where they’ll face aggressive marketing of products that do not have to comply with the ACA’s consumer protections. Rachel Schwab looks at this perfect storm that puts workers at risk of ending up in the wrong plan.

New Resources Arm Advocates with Tools to Defend Essential Health Benefits, Pre-Existing Condition Protections

Posted July 23, 2019 by CHIR Faculty

On July 9, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in Texas v. United States, the court case challenging the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) constitutionality. The litigation is ongoing, but if the plaintiffs prevail, the law could be overturned in its entirety. With the federal court case looming, state policymakers and advocates are looking for ways to preserve access to coverage in the absence of the ACA’s protections, including steps to codify the law’s key provisions into state law. To aid in these efforts, Community Catalyst has teamed up with CHIR experts to create two new guides for its health insurance reform toolkit: The Advocate’s Guide to Pre-Existing Condition Protections and The Advocate’s Guide to Essential Health Benefits.

June Research Round Up: What We’re Reading

Posted July 1, 2019 by Olivia Hoppe

This June, CHIR’s Olivia Hoppe caught up on policy studies and proposals on surprise medical bills, the affordability of coverage on the Affordable Care Act marketplaces, and state-level health system performance.

States Leaning In: Washington Doubles Down on Efforts to Shore up Market, Protect Consumers

Posted June 24, 2019 by Rachel Schwab

In the wake of federal actions to roll back the Affordable Care Act’s reforms, states have assumed an even greater role in protecting consumers and ensuring market stability. Washington State, a long-time leader in state health insurance reform, has taken up that mantle. Since our last post highlighting Washington’s policy playbook, the state has implemented several more policies to preserve their insurance market and bolster consumer protections. CHIR’s Rachel Schwab takes a look at some of the state’s new developments.

Are the Affordable Care Act Markets “Stabilizing”? Early 2020 Rate Filings Give Little Cause for Celebration

Posted June 17, 2019 by

Changes in premiums are a key indicator of the overall health of an insurance market. CHIR’s Sabrina Corlette dug into the rate submissions of 2020 individual market health insurers in several states that have publicly released their filings. She finds a less rosy picture than the relatively modest average rate changes might suggest.

May Research Round Up: What We’re Reading

Posted June 14, 2019 by Olivia Hoppe

This May, CHIR’s Olivia Hoppe reviewed new studies on the effects of silver loading in the Affordable Care Act-compliant individual market, disparities in mental health access, hospital prices, and employees’ insurance cost burdens.

Coming up Short: The Problem with Counting Short-Term, Limited Duration Insurance as Coverage

Posted June 7, 2019 by Rachel Schwab

In April, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released an analysis of federal legislation to reverse the Trump administration’s rule expanding access to short-term, limited duration insurance policies, which do not have to comply with the Affordable Care Act’s consumer protections. CBO estimated that reversing the rule would result in 500,000 people going uninsured, predicated on the assumption that most short-term plans count as “insurance.” For people with preexisting conditions, nothing could be further from the truth.

Can States Fill the Gap if the Courts Overturn Preexisting-Condition Protections?

Posted June 3, 2019 by CHIR Faculty

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals is expected to hear arguments in litigation over the future of the Affordable Care Act the week of July 8, 2019. If the plaintiffs prevail, millions could lose insurance coverage and millions more will lose preexisting condition protections. In their latest post for the Commonwealth Fund, CHIR’s Sabrina Corlette and Emily Curran document state-level efforts to preserve the ACA’s insurance market reforms.

Most Stakeholders Oppose Expanding the Sale of Coverage Across State Lines: Reactions to HHS’ Request for Comments

Posted May 22, 2019 by Emily Curran

The Trump administration recently asked the public to submit input on policies that would encourage the sale of insurance across state lines, including through “health care choice compacts.” CHIR’s Emily Curran reviewed comments submitted by consumer advocates, insurers, and states and summarizes them here.

States Step Up to Protect Insurance Markets and Consumers from Short-Term Health Plans

Posted May 21, 2019 by CHIR Faculty

Short-term plans are now being sold to consumers as a replacement for Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage. However, because these plans are exempt from many consumer protections and ACA rules, a number of states have stepped up to regulate the design and marketing of these plans. In their latest issue brief for The Commonwealth Fund, CHIR experts document recent state action to regulate short-term plans and protect their residents and markets.