Category: Health reform

Stakeholder Perspectives on Round Three of CMS’s 2022 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters. Part 3: Consumer Advocates

The Biden administration has proposed several policy changes designed to boost enrollment in the Affordable Care Act marketplaces. In the third post of a 3-part blog series, JoAnn Volk and Nia Gooding review comments submitted by several consumer and patient advocacy groups. Prior posts reviewed comments from health insurers and state marketplace and insurance officials.

Restraining Balance Billing by Air Ambulance Providers: CHIR Keeps Up with Federal Advisory Committee and Regulatory Actions

Air ambulances are the source of some of the largest unexpected medical bills faced by consumers. Before it passed the No Surprises Act, Congress created an advisory committee on air ambulance billing practices. CHIR’s Madeline O’Brien and JoAnn Volk take a look at this committee’s work and what it might mean for future federal policymaking.

State Public Option–Style Laws: What Policymakers Need to Know

In recent months, Washington, Colorado, and Nevada, have enacted public option-style laws aimed at containing costs and increasing access to health insurance coverage. In a new post for the Commonwealth Fund, CHIR experts Christine Monahan, Kevin Lucia, and Justin Giovannelli examine these efforts and their implications for federal and state policymakers.

Banning Surprise Bills: Biden Administration Issues First Rule On The No Surprises Act

When Congress enacted the “No Surprises Act” last year to ban unexpected out-of-network medical bills, it was left to the Biden administration to implement these historic consumer protections. CHIR’s Katie Keith, Jack Hoadley, and Kevin Lucia provide a detailed summary of the first round of federal rules flowing from this new law in their latest post for the Health Affairs blog.

“As if COVID-19 Did Not Exist”: Health Plans Prepare for 2022 in Early Rate Filings

Several states ask for – and publicly post – health insurers’ proposed 2022 premium rates in May and June. These early rate filings can provide hints about how insurers are responding to market trends, policy changes, and emerging drivers of health care costs. CHIR’s Sabrina Corlette took a deep dive into insurers’ actuarial memos to find out how they’re thinking about health care spending after COVID-19, the American Rescue Plan, and more.

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.