Category: Health reform

The ACA is Helping Moms this Mother’s Day

A new Urban Institute study examines data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to analyze trends in insurance coverage for mothers. Our Center for Children and Families’ colleague Alisa Chester takes a look at their findings.

One Way Insurers Could Improve Marketplace Risk Pools? Stop Cannibalizing Their Own Business

It’s starting to be as predictable as April showers. As soon as open enrollment for ACA health plans closes, insurers come out of the woodwork to sell limited coverage insurance products, such as short-term policies, that don’t meet ACA standards. Sabrina Corlette explains why doing so is siphoning off healthy risk from the marketplaces and undermining the profitability of ACA-compliant plans.

HHS Study Shows Benefits of Shopping and Subsidies, but Costs Still a Concern

With health insurers’ rate filings looming on the horizon, many are concerned we’ll see proposed premium increases for 2017. But a report released last week demonstrates that, behind the headlines, consumers are likely to see more affordable premiums after they’ve shopped for the best deal. At the same time, another study shows that consumers’ out-of-pocket costs for health services are steadily rising. Sean Miskell has the details.

Missouri’s Health Reform Assisters Triumph In Court

Health reform advocates experienced a win last month, when a federal court in Missouri struck down three sections of a state law that interfered with the ability of health insurance navigators and other in-person assisters to help consumers understand and enroll in new coverage options. CHIR’s own Emily Curran reviewed the court’s decision and provides some takeaways.

Insurance Company Earnings Calls—A Useful Resource for Your Toolbox

The quarterly earnings calls of publicly traded health insurance companies can provide insights into major business developments, as well as how company executives expect market trends and policy actions to affect future performance. CHIR’s Emily Curran regularly listens into these calls and highlights how they can be useful for health policy wonks.

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.