Category: Implementing the Affordable Care Act

The ACA in 2014: Helping Consumers Transition to New Coverage

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The start of 2014 marks the transition to new health plans that must meet ACA standards for adequacy and affordability. But, as with any transition, there can be disruptions, particularly for people who are in the middle of treatment or need drugs that may not be on a new plan’s formulary. HHS has recently released fact sheets and an interim final rule to help consumers and health plans make a smooth transition. JoAnn Volk has this overview – and answers some common consumer questions.

2014 Brings New Protections for Consumers – and New Oversight Responsibilities for States

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2014 brings sweeping new health insurance protections for consumers, but for those reforms to be realized state insurance regulators need to make sure health plans comply with the law. A recent report released by the NAIC consumer representatives details best practices and provides recommendations to states to improve enforcement and better protect consumers. Sabrina Corlette has this overview.

Another Shift in Health Insurance Rules: Helping Consumers Keep Up

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On the eve of the December 23 deadline to sign up for health insurance coverage, the Administration announced that people whose previous health plans had been cancelled will now be allowed to enroll in alternative, bare-bones coverage. Consumers and those charged with helping them enroll – navigators, brokers, application assisters and others – are likely to have questions about the change. Sabrina Corlette provides answers here.

Patience and Flexibility Needed as Those with New Insurance Start Using Health Care Services January 1

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Now that healthcare.gov is finally working, attention is turning to challenges people might face as they start seeking health care services. In his latest blog, Georgetown University Health Policy Institute’s Jack Hoadley discusses how Medicare officials responded to post-enrollment glitches in Part D – and provides some lessons learned for the ACA roll out.

Changing Health Plans, Changing Provider Networks: What They Mean for Consumers and How States Can Help

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Did the President tell the truth when he told the American people: “If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor”? Are health plans narrowing their provider networks and if so, what does it mean for consumers and the state officials charged with protecting them? CHIR experts Sabrina Corlette and Sally McCarty tackle these thorny issues in their latest blog.

Handling Premiums with Care in Medicaid, CHIP and the Marketplace

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Connecting people with health coverage is a complicated process, and the last few weeks have demonstrated how challenging it can be. But helping people maintain that coverage may be even more challenging. In this blog, Tricia Brooks of Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families discusses how policies relating to premium collection can have a critical impact on families’ ability to stay covered.

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.