Category: CHIR

Proposed Rules on the ACA’s Frequently Litigated “Birth Control Mandate” Aim to Close Gaps in Coverage

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Last month, the Biden administration proposed new rules to restore access to free contraceptive services under the Affordable Care Act. In the wake of severely restricted access to reproductive health care, the stakes of the Biden administration’s proposals are high. With comments due on April 3, CHIR’s Rachel Schwab provides an overview of the Biden administration’s proposals and key considerations for consumers’ access to contraceptive services.

February Research Roundup: What We’re Reading

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Along with “Health Policy Valentines,” February brought a host of new health policy research. This month, we read about trends in medical and pharmacy spending, the relationship between health systems’ financial performance and amounts paid by commercial plans, and mental health provider network adequacy.

A Progress Report on Washington’s Public Option Plans

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Washington State’s “public option” program is now in its third year. After initial cost and access challenges hindered the program’s reach, growing insurer participation and recent enrollment data suggest meaningful progress is being made. CHIR’s Christine Monahan and Madeline O’Brien provide an update on how Washington’s public option plans performed in the recently concluded open enrollment period, outlining key issues to watch as Washington moves forward with its first-in-the-nation program.

Updates to the Navigator Resource Guide Provide Information for People Transitioning from Medicaid to Private Health Insurance

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After a three-year pause on Medicaid redeterminations, states can begin the process of removing residents from their rolls beginning on April 1. Many people who are terminated from Medicaid will be eligible for free or low-cost plans through the Affordable Care Act’s Marketplaces. To help consumers and enrollment assisters during this nationwide coverage event, we’ve updated our Navigator Resource Guide with new content about transitioning between Medicaid and private health insurance.

COVID “Long Haulers” Still Struggle with Coverage and Care

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The COVID-19 public health emergency expires this spring, bringing an end to pandemic-related funding, infrastructure, and flexibilities. Meanwhile, millions of people continue struggling to find and pay for effective treatment for post-acute, COVID-related conditions. Karen Davenport provides an update on the progress—or lack thereof—towards covering the ongoing and unique care needs of these COVID “long haulers.”

January Research Roundup: What We’re Reading

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Welcome to another year of health policy research. In the first month of 2023, CHIR reviewed studies on how policies expanding health coverage would impact household spending, surprise medical bills generated by ground ambulance rides, and health care costs associated with substance use disorders.

Implementing the Family Glitch Fix on the Affordable Care Act’s Marketplaces

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A record number of people have signed up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces. This historic enrollment coincides with a new rule that fixes the “family glitch,” a former policy that blocked over 5 million people from accessing marketplace subsidies. In a post for the Commonwealth Fund’s To the Point blog, CHIR experts highlight the variety of activities undertaken by the ACA’s marketplaces to implement the family glitch fix.

The ACA’s Preventive Services Benefit Is in Jeopardy: What Can States Do to Preserve Access?

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A federal judge is poised to gut one of the most popular provisions of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) preventive services requirement, potentially cutting off millions of peoples’ access to crucial care such as flu shots and cancer screenings. In a post for the Commonwealth Fund, CHIR researchers look at states that have codified the ACA’s preventive service requirement, identifying gaps and opportunities to bolster state-level protections.

ERISA 101: The United States’ Hands-Off Approach to Regulating Employer Health Plans

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Amidst growing health care costs, adequate health insurance coverage is increasingly unaffordable for employers and employees. There is a growing focus on the role employer-sponsored plans can play in health care cost containment, but under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the access, affordability, and adequacy of employer coverage is dictated less by law and regulation and more by individual employers.

Navigator Guide FAQs of the Week: Post-enrollment Issues

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The open enrollment period has officially ended in most states. After signing up for 2023 coverage, enrollees may have questions about the ins and outs of health insurance and access to care. We’re spotlighting some of the post-enrollment questions and answers on our Navigator Resource Guide.

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.