Category: Health reform

The Future of the Affordable Care Act under President Trump: Stakeholders Respond to Proposed 2019 Marketplace Rule. Part I: Insurers

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The Trump Administration has proposed a number of changes to the Affordable Care Act’s essential health benefit standard, marketplace operations, and other consumer protections. In this first in a series of blog posts analyzing public comments on the proposed rules, CHIR’s Sabrina Corlette finds that insurance industry responses were not always what you’d expect.

New Rules Pending on Short-Term Health Plans: Impacts for Consumers, Markets and Potential State Responses

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New rules are due any day now in response to President Trump’s October 13, 2017 executive order to expand access to short-term limited-duration health plans that don’t have to comply with Affordable Care Act protections. The impact of the proposed new rules were debated at the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ December meeting, as well as potential state policy options to protect consumers and stabilize their markets. CHIR recently outlined some in an issue brief, and we share some highlights here.

State Options Blog Series: Implications of Weakening the 80-20 Rule for States and Consumers

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The Trump administration recently issued a proposed regulation that could significantly impact how much of consumers’ premium dollars are spent on their health care needs. CHIR expert Kevin Lucia assesses the proposed relaxation of the Affordable Care Act’s “80-20” or medical loss ratio standards and outlines policy options for states wishing to maintain them.

When the Individual Market Dies, Where will People Go? A Eulogy

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The individual market may not be dead yet, but it soon will be, thanks to recent actions by the Trump administration and congressional efforts to repeal the individual mandate. CHIR’s Sabrina Corlette examines the cause of death, and what the loss of the individual market will mean for the millions of middle class families that rely on it.

State Options Blog Series: Streamlined, Direct Marketplace Enrollment Has Risks, Benefits, but Much Depends on State Oversight

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In the fourth of a multi-part blog series on state options in the wake of federal actions to roll back or relax Affordable Care Act regulation, JoAnn Volk reviews recent changes to an enrollment pathway that may prove helpful in boosting enrollment, but also comes with potential risks for consumers. She discusses what state insurance regulators can do to ensure consumers are protected from pitfalls.

Proposed 2019 Affordable Care Act Payment Rule: A Big Role for States

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The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services published an annual set of proposed rules for the Affordable Care Act marketplaces on October 27. Called the “Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters,” the rules set out expectations for insurers and the states that regulate them. In her latest post for CHIR, Katie Keith highlights key areas in which this administration would give states new autonomy and authority.

It’s Not Time to Give Away Consumer Protections for Cost-Sharing Reduction Reimbursements

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In the wake of a White House decision to end reimbursements to insurers for cost-sharing reduction (CSR) plans, a bipartisan agreement has emerged in Congress to restore them. However, negotiators are coming under pressure to make additional changes that would increase the number of uninsured and roll back protections for people with pre-existing conditions. CHIR’s Dania Palanker takes a look at what’s at stake and why it’s not worth compromising key Affordable Care Act protections in exchange for CSR payments.

States Work to Preserve Affordable Care Act Progress amidst Federal Disorder

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It’s been a bumpy year for state insurance and marketplace officials, thanks to considerable uncertainty over the future of the ACA. CHIR’s Emily Curran highlights recent action suggesting that some states may be poised to reassert their authority over their insurance markets, as they work to maintain the ACA’s coverage gains and keep their markets stable.

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.