Category: CHIR

Policy Experts Discuss Strategies to Keep Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance Afloat

On October 3, CHIR held the first in a series of in-person policy briefings on the future of employer-sponsored insurance (ESI), sponsored by Arnold Ventures and West Health. The event, featuring remarks from U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan and a panel discussion moderated by Sarah Kliff of The New York Times, spotlighted state cost containment policies and employer strategies to inform the federal policy process concerning ESI, which covers almost half of all Americans.

State Protections Against Medical Debt: A Look at Policies Across the U.S.

Medical debt is one of the leading causes of bankruptcy in the United States. Though federal law provides some protection against medical debt and its downstream consequences, the federal framework has significant gaps. In a new report for the Commonwealth Fund, CHIR’s Maanasa Kona and Vrudhi Raimugia examine how states are filling gaps in federal law.

Reforming Abusive Billing Practices, One Step At A Time

As hospitals expand and take over outpatient care settings, consumers are facing additional charges in the form of facility fees when they see physicians and other providers. In a new post for Health Affairs Forefront, Christine Monahan and Linda Blumberg detail congressional proposals to reform billing practices that expose consumers to facility fees.

August Research Roundup: What We’re Reading

As summer was winding down, CHIR was reading up on the latest health policy research. In August, we read about differences between Medicare Advantage and commercial plans’ negotiated hospital prices, the affordability of employer-sponsored insurance for older adults, and the expected growth of 2024 Affordable Care Act Marketplace premiums.

The Perfect Storm: Misleading Marketing of Limited Benefit Products Continues as Millions Losing Medicaid Search for New Coverage

A massive coverage transition is underway for millions of people who have relied on Medicaid throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. After a three-year pause, states have begun disenrolling residents from Medicaid, leaving millions of people in need of new coverage. A secret shopper study conducted in June 2023 suggests that people losing Medicaid are facing aggressive marketing of limited benefit products.

Surprise Billing: Volume Of Cases Using Independent Dispute Resolution Continues Higher Than Anticipated

The No Surprises Act is largely working as intended to protect patients from unexpected medical bills. However, the rising number of Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) cases is creating challenges for the health care system. In a post for Health Affairs Forefront, Jack Hoadley and Kevin Lucia evaluate the causes and implications of the increasing number of IDR cases.

July Research Roundup: What We’re Reading

CHIR’s summer reading list includes the latest health policy literature. In July, we read about the disparities in medical debt burdens, policy interventions to reduce choice errors in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace, and the affordability of Marketplace health insurance under subsidy expansion.

Early Rate Filings Show Premium Increases, Rising Costs of Care

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has published proposed rate changes for 2024 Marketplace plans. In some states, insurers submitted rate requests earlier in the summer, alongside justifications for the proposed changes to next year’s premiums. CHIR dug into the rate requests from select states with early rate filing deadlines to see what’s behind the premiums consumers could be facing in 2024, both on- and off-Marketplace.

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.