Category: State of the States

A “Volatile Marketplace”: Second Quarter Earnings Calls Offer Glimpse of How Insurers Are Faring on ACA Marketplaces—and What 2017 Might Bring

In a turbulent year for the Affordable Care Act, health insurers’ second-quarter earnings calls and financial filings can offer a glimpse of how they are faring on the ACA marketplaces and strategies for 2017. In their latest publication for the Commonwealth Fund, CHIR experts Sabrina Corlette, Kevin Lucia and Emily Curran share key takeaways from these key insurance industry financial reports.

State-Run SHOPs: An Update Three Years Post ACA Implementation

Small-business owners face unique challenges covering their employees; to lower barriers and increase options, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) created the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP). In a new blog published by The Commonwealth Fund, CHIR experts Emily Curran, Sabrina Corlette, and Kevin Lucia evaluate the current state of these marketplaces three years into implementation.

New Health Affairs Policy Brief Examines the Regulation of Health Plan Provider Networks

Limited networks have become increasingly common on ACA marketplaces, comprising almost half of all offerings during the first two years of the exchanges. In a new policy brief for Health Affairs, CHIR experts Justin Giovannelli, Kevin Lucia, and Sabrina Corlette examine what the states and the federal government are doing to ensure that marketplace plan networks are adequate and transparent.

Factors Affecting Health Insurance Enrollment Through the State Marketplaces: Observations on the ACA’s Third Open Enrollment Period

Despite declining funding, enrollment through the state-based marketplaces increased nearly nine percent during the third open enrollment period. To learn what assistance and outreach strategies were most effective in attracting consumers, we surveyed marketplace officials to gain their unique insights and share major findings in our latest report.

State Legislators Conduct Post-Mortem on Affordable Care Act CO-OPs and Plot Next Steps

State insurance legislators held their national meeting in Portland, Oregon last week, and the demise of 16 health insurance CO-OPs created under the Affordable Care Act was high on the agenda. CHIR’s own Sabrina Corlette was invited to provide legislators with testimony about the CO-OP program’s troubles. Key takeaways from the meeting – and next steps for state policymakers – are provided here.

Beyond UnitedHealthcare: How Are Other Publicly Traded Insurers Faring on the Marketplaces?

Two-and-one-half years in, how do we assess the success and stability of the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance marketplaces? Much ink has been spilled over the high-profile exit of UnitedHealthcare, but to gain a broader perspective, CHIR experts examined the first quarter earnings calls and regulatory filings for some of the largest, publicly traded insurers that participate in the marketplaces. Their latest article for the Commonwealth Fund shares what they learned.

15 States and DC Now Prohibit Transgender Insurance Exclusions

Three years ago, only 3 states and DC prohibited insurance companies from excluding care for transgendered individuals from health plans. Today, that number has grown to 15 states, signalling that state policymakers are increasingly recognizing that transgender policy exclusions fly in the face of medical evidence and laws prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity. Our former CHIR colleague, Katie Keith, shares findings from an assessment of state actions and their impacts.

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.