Network adequacy standards aim to ensure health plan provider networks are sufficient in number and types of providers to give enrollees timely access to needed care and services. Following the Trump administration’s decision to roll back federal network adequacy standards for Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace plans, the Biden administration signaled it will soon resume oversight, proposing new, quantitative standards as well as proactive compliance procedures.

In a new post for the Commonwealth Fund’s To the Point blog, CHIR’s Justin Giovannelli examines state and federal approaches to network adequacy. He finds that, even though the ACA established a federal network adequacy protection for marketplace enrollees in all states, regulation of marketplace plan networks remains a patchwork affair. This may begin to change, however, should the Biden administration follow through with its new proposals. You can read the full post here.