February Research Round Up: What We’re Reading
For February’s Research Round Up, CHIR’s Olivia Hoppe focuses on five studies on health care spending trends, surprise medical bills, and individual market claims denials and appeals.
Category: Implementing the Affordable Care Act
House Hearings Shed Light on a Key Policy Priority: Protecting People with Pre-Existing Conditions
After becoming a rallying cry in the midterm elections, pre-existing condition protections have taken center stage on Capitol Hill: in January and February, the House of Representatives held three hearings about protecting people with pre-existing conditions, before the Ways & Means Committee, the Education & Labor Committee, and the Energy & Commerce Subcommittee. As the ACA faces legal challenges in federal court, these proceedings set the scene for how this policy debate will play out in Congress and offer insight into potential legislative action.
Stakeholders Respond to the Proposed Health Reimbursement Arrangement Rule. Part I: State Insurance Departments and Marketplaces
In October 2018, the Trump administration proposed rules to expand the use of health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) by loosening current federal limitations. The administration’s proposal would allow employers to offer employees the tax-advantaged accounts to assist with health care expenses, including premiums, in lieu of employer-sponsored coverage. To understand the potential impact of the proposals, CHIR reviewed comments from various stakeholder groups. For the first blog in our series, Rachel Schwab summarizes comments from state marketplaces and state insurance departments.
January Research Round Up: What We’re Reading
For the January Research Round Up, CHIR’s Olivia Hoppe goes over new research that examines the root of high health care spending in the US, the effects of eliminating the individual mandate penalty in California, insurer participation in the individual market, and characteristics of the uninsured population across the country.
Efforts to Protect Workers with Pre-existing Conditions
On February 6, 2019, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Education & Labor Committee held a hearing on threats to workers with pre-existing conditions. CHIR expert Sabrina Corlette was invited to testify and shares her statement here.
The Marketing of Short-Term Health Plans: Industry Practices Create Consumer Confusion
A 2018 federal rule changing the definition of short-term limited-duration insurance (STLDI) has created a new marketing opportunity for insurance companies and brokers. In a new study, CHIR experts assess short-term plan insurers’ marketing tactics in the wake of the new federal rules and how regulators have prepared for this new market.
The Proposed 2020 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters: Summary and Implications for States
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has released a new set of rules and standards for the Affordable Care Act marketplaces and insurance provisions. CHIR’s Sabrina Corlette reviews the proposal and what its provisions mean for state insurance markets and coverage.
Affordable Care Act Navigators: Lack of Funding Leads to Consumer Confusion, Decreased Enrollment
Last year, we talked with Navigators to learn about how they reached consumers despite major funding cuts. In light of a number of new policy changes and further funding decreases, CHIR’s Olivia Hoppe checked in with Navigators and assisters from five states on how they fared in this year’s Open Enrollment, and the challenges ahead.
How Is the Partial Government Shutdown Affecting the Affordable Care Act Marketplaces?
We are now in the midst of the longest-ever shutdown of U.S. government agencies, resulting in closed offices, furloughed workers, and discontinued services. CHIR’s Sabrina Corlette takes a look at how the shutdown is affecting the Affordable Care Act marketplaces.
Translating Coverage into Care: Answers to Common Post-Enrollment Questions
Open Enrollment has ended in the majority of states, and almost 8.5 million people signed up for coverage through HealthCare.gov. As consumers begin to use their 2019 plans, a host of questions about covered services, cost sharing, provider networks and more are sure to crop up. Luckily, CHIR has answers to frequently asked post-enrollment questions in our recently updated Navigator Resource Guide.