Category: State of the States
Potential Costs and Challenges in Boston
With much of the country still reeling from the Boston marathon bombings, many of the victims, as well as their families and friends, have already begun the long road to recovery. With estimates that total medical costs could be as high as $9 million, Katie Keith considers some of the costs and challenges that the victims might face in obtaining the care they need.
Factors Affecting Self-Funding by Small Employers: Views from the Market
New Guidance: Federal Regulators Allow “Collaborative Arrangements” for Enforcement
On March 15, 2013, federal regulators released guidance on how the Affordable Care Act’s new market reforms will be enforced. In a post that originally appeared on The Commonwealth Fund Blog, Katie Keith and Kevin Lucia describe how the new guidance fits into the Affordable Care Act’s enforcement framework and what the new guidance means for enforcement of the law’s most significant reforms.
Vermont’s Rate Fillings: What Do They Mean for Consumers?
Some States Consider Nondiscrimination Requirements
In implementing the Affordable Care Act, state regulators may increasingly look for ways to ensure that health insurance does not discriminate against certain groups of individuals, such as people living with HIV, older Americans, and even women. In this spirit, Katie Keith describes how Colorado and the District of Columbia each took recent steps to prohibit insurers from discriminating against enrollees based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
Building the New Insurance Marketplaces: Future of One State-Based Exchange Threatened
Essential Health Benefits in the States: Selections Have Been Made but Questions Remain
In our most recent issue brief for the Commonwealth Fund, Sabrina Corlette and CHIR colleagues examined states’ selection of an essential health benefits benchmark plan. In this blog Sabrina reviews the report’s findings and what they mean for ongoing implementation of these critical consumer protections.