Implementing the Affordable Care Act

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

Posted September 16, 2019 by Olivia Hoppe

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

Posted September 13, 2019 by Rachel Schwab

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

Posted September 9, 2019 by Olivia Hoppe

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.

Preparations for the Affordable Care Act’s 7th Open Enrollment Season: Georgetown’s Updated Navigator Resource Guide

Posted August 16, 2019 by CHIR Faculty

As August winds to a close, Georgetown CHIR’s faculty are focused not on pumpkin lattes and back-to-school clothes but on health insurance. The Affordable Care Act’s 7th open enrollment season is just around the corner and we’re gearing up to re-launch an updated and improved Navigator Resource Guide. The Guide, which includes hundreds of FAQs about marketplace eligibility, available coverage options, and post-enrollment issues, will be updated to reflect several changes in federal health policy.

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

Posted August 9, 2019 by CHIR Faculty

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

Posted August 5, 2019 by Olivia Hoppe

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.

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.