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Three New State-Based Marketplaces are Up and Running

Posted November 8, 2021 by Rachel Swindle

We’re a week into Affordable Care Act marketplace open enrollment, and it looks like the three newest state-based marketplaces, Kentucky, Maine, and New Mexico, are off to a solid start. The transition away from the federal marketplace, HealthCare.gov, has taken time, effort, and an up-front investment in the new state-run platforms and other SBM infrastructure. CHIR’s Rachel Swindle takes a look at some of the challenges and opportunities for states running their own marketplaces.

New and Improved Navigator Resource Guide Answers Common Enrollment Questions, Spotlights Innovative Outreach for Communities of Focus

Posted November 5, 2021 by CHIR Faculty

Just in time for Open Enrollment, CHIR updated and improved the Navigator Resource Guide, a practical, hands-on resource with over 300 frequently asked questions, state-specific fact sheets, a spotlight on outreach strategies, and more.

October Research Roundup: What We’re Reading

Posted November 4, 2021 by CHIR Faculty

In our newest monthly roundup of health policy research, CHIR intern Madison Berry reviews studies evaluating the impact of extending the American Rescue Plan’s subsidy expansion, COVID-19’s effect on health spending, and the importance of continuous marketplace coverage for pregnant people.

Misleading Marketing of Non-ACA Health Plans Continued During COVID-19 Special Enrollment Period

Posted October 29, 2021 by CHIR Faculty

Millions of Americans are eligible for health insurance plans with low or no premiums and significantly reduced cost-sharing this coming open enrollment, but misleading marketing practices may direct some consumers to alternative plans that lack the Affordable Care Act’s protections. Researchers at CHIR recently replicated a previous secret shopper study to determine if consumers shopping for comprehensive coverage during the COVID-19 special enrollment period were still being directed to these alternative plans.

What’s New for 2022 Marketplace Enrollment?

Posted October 25, 2021 by CHIR Faculty

Open Enrollment is just around the corner. There are new policies for the marketplace in 2022, including an expansion of opportunities to sign up for health coverage during and outside the annual open enrollment period. As a preview to our updated Navigator Resource Guide, CHIR provides a summary of some changes that may affect people enrolling in marketplace plans.

COVID “Long Haulers” Can Carry Additional Burden of Getting Insurers to Cover Care

Posted October 18, 2021 by CHIR Faculty

COVID-19 survivors may experience new symptoms well after their initial infection. Health systems offer these patients help with managing their conditions, but COVID-19 is a novel disease, and research demonstrating effectiveness of treatments for many post-COVID conditions is sparse. Karen Davenport takes a look at some of insurance implications of the dearth of information on “long COVID.”

State-Based Marketplaces Eye Health Equity, Expanding Enrollment Under New Federal Grants

Posted October 12, 2021 by Rachel Schwab

Last month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced $20 million in grant funding for the 21 state-based marketplaces (SBM). The federal funding, allocated under the American Rescue Plan, will allow SBMs to modernize their technology platforms, outreach programs, and other systems and operations to ensure compliance with federal requirements, including the temporary expansion of marketplace subsidies. CHIR’s Rachel Schwab takes a look at some of the initiatives SBMs are planning with the new grant funding.

Limited Plans with Minimal Coverage Are Being Sold as Primary Coverage, Leaving Consumers at Risk

Posted September 30, 2021 by CHIR Faculty

People shopping for health insurance online are often directed to websites using misleading or deceptive practices to steer them to products that are not compliant with the Affordable Care Act, such as fixed indemnity policies. In a new post for the Commonwealth Fund’s To the Point blog, CHIR’s Dania Palanker and Kevin Lucia discuss the marketing of limited plans as a primary form of coverage and the risks these products pose to consumers.

The No Surprises Act Proposed Rule on Air Ambulances and Enforcement: Implications for States

Posted September 24, 2021 by CHIR Faculty

This month the Biden administration released a second rule implementing the No Surprises Act, the new federal law banning balance bills in certain care settings and circumstances starting in 2022. In an Expert Perspective for the State Health & Value Strategies project, CHIR experts JoAnn Volk and Sabrina Corlette review provisions of the proposed rules of particular import to state-based marketplaces and state insurance regulators.