Category: CHIR

Adoption of Value-Based, Alternative Payment Models: Where Are We Today and Where Do We Go from Here?

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Employer-sponsored health insurance costs had their highest annual increase since 2010 last year, and some experts are projecting additional health spending increases in 2022. Research has found that provider prices are the leading cause of high and rising health care spending in the US, and many policy experts have advocated for moving towards value-based, alternative payment models (APMs). CHIR’s Maanasa Kona takes a look how APMs have performed thus far and what the future may hold.

Fixing the Family Glitch and Other Priorities: The Next Wave of Federal Administrative Action to Enhance the Affordable Care Act

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The federal government has taken a series of actions to strengthen the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Medicaid, and the Biden administration has announced its intent to do more in this arena. Stakeholders have aided federal policy efforts by suggesting administrative options for increasing access to affordable, comprehensive health insurance and promoting health equity. In her latest post for the Commonwealth Fund’s To the Point blog, Georgetown’s Katie Keith identifies thirteen high-priority administrative policies to strengthen the ACA and Medicaid and evaluates their current status.

December Research Roundup: What We’re Reading

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This month, we’re ringing in the new year with new health policy research. In our final roundup of 2021 publications, CHIR’s Emma Walsh-Alker reviewed analyses about the impact of the ACA’s Medicaid expansion on coverage status and access to maternal care, how the Build Back Better Act would change health insurance for low-income individuals and families, and consumer choice in health care.

Navigator Guide FAQs of the Week: Answers to Post-Enrollment Questions

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As of January 15th, the open enrollment period has ended in most states. A record number of consumers signed up for 2022 marketplace coverage. So what comes next for marketplace enrollees? First, give yourself a pat on the back for enrolling in health coverage! Second, consult CHIR’s Navigator Resource Guide for expert answers to FAQs about post-enrollment issues you may face, like unexpected coverage denials and balance bills.

Changes to Wellness Programs Suggest Employers are Rethinking Health Promotion

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January can feel like a time for new beginnings, and new year’s resolutions. In recent years, many employers have provided workplace wellness programs that may help employees stick with these resolutions, such as benefits, services, or financial incentives that encourage workers to improve their health. Recent data from KFF’s 2021 Employer Health Benefit Survey showing that employers are reconsidering key elements of their wellness initiatives prompted CHIR to take a look at some of the changes—and ongoing issues—with workplace wellness programs.

Navigator Guide FAQs of the Week: Understanding Common Consumer Notices When Applying for Marketplace Coverage

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Happy New Year! In most states, consumers have until January 15 to sign up for marketplace coverage for 2022. In this weekly installment of FAQs from CHIR’s updated Navigator Resource Guide, we highlight questions about common notices consumers may receive when applying for health insurance, and how they can respond in order to successfully enroll in coverage.

ACA Section 1557 as a Tool for Anti-racist Health Care

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The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has narrowed racial and ethnic health disparities. But significant gaps persist, driven in no small part by structural racism. In a new piece for Health Affairs Forefront, Jamille Fields Allsbrook and CHIR faculty Katie Keith discuss how the Biden administration can use its existing authority under Section 1557 of the ACA and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to better ensure anti-racist health care and insurance.

Navigator Guide FAQs of the Week: Will My Plan Deliver the Care I Need?

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Provider networks and prescription drug coverage are important consideration for consumers when choosing a plan. As part of CHIR’s weekly series highlighting FAQs from our updated Navigator Resource Guide, this week we discuss how to make sure your plan provides access to the doctors, prescription drugs, and culturally competent care that you need.

November Research Roundup: What We’re Reading

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For November’s monthly roundup of new health policy research, CHIR’s Emma Walsh-Alker reviewed studies about insurer participation in the Affordable Care Act marketplaces, how private equity ownership of air ambulances impacts surprise bills, and how pending legislation to fill the Medicaid “coverage gap” could affect hospital finances.

Navigator Guide FAQs of the Week: What Does My Marketplace Plan Cover?

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Enrolling in coverage on the marketplace requires comparing different health plans and decide which one best fits their needs for the upcoming year. To avoid unwelcome surprises, it’s crucial that consumers have an accurate understanding of plan options will and will not cover. This week, we highlight FAQs from CHIR’s updated Navigator Resource Guide about marketplace plans’ coverage standards.

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.