CHIR Welcomes Two New Faculty Members, Stacey Pogue and Kennah Watts
CHIR is delighted to welcome two new faculty members: Stacey Pogue and Kennah Watts.
Dental Coverage under the ACA: Marketplace Rule Would Give States the Opportunity to Expand Coverage
Dental care is an important element of comprehensive health care. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires coverage of pediatric dental services in many commercial plans, but the law has had less of an impact on adult dental coverage. This first blog in a new series on dental coverage in the ACA Marketplaces summarizes the legal framework of dental coverage and potentially forthcoming changes under the proposed Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2025.
State Public Option Plans Are Making Progress on Reducing Consumer Costs
States remain motivated to adopt reforms that improve affordability and expand access to coverage for populations that still lack access to care. State public option–style plans are a key candidate for consideration. In a post for the Commonwealth Fund, CHIR experts provide an update on states that have established or are laying groundwork for public option–style plans.
Stakeholder Perspectives on CMS’s 2025 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters: Health Insurers and Brokers
The Biden administration will soon finalize its annual rulemaking for the Affordable Care Act Marketplaces. To better understand the impact of the proposed changes, CHIR reviewed the public comments submitted by key stakeholder groups. In this first in a 3-part blog series, CHIR expert Sabrina Corlette reviews the feedback provided by health insurance companies and web-brokers.
Policy Innovations in the Affordable Care Act Marketplaces
The Affordable Care Act’s Marketplaces have seen record signups for 2024. Marketplaces can pursue innovative and consumer-friendly policies that bolster this crucial source of coverage. In a recent issue brief for the Commonwealth Fund, CHIR experts reviewed policy decisions across state-run Marketplaces and the federally facilitated Marketplace.
Looking Under the Hood: “Enhanced” Rate Review to Improve Affordability
A handful of states are working to improve health insurance affordability by boosting their insurance department’s rate review authority and empowering regulators to look “under the hood” at the prices commercial insurance companies negotiate for health care goods and services. In a recently released report, CHIR experts share findings from a 50-state assessment of rate review programs.
Navigator Guide FAQs of the Week: Post-Enrollment Issues
Open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act’s Marketplaces has ended in most states, with a record number of people selecting a Marketplace plan for 2024. This week, we’re highlighting answers to common post-enrollment questions from our Navigator Resource Guide.
Proposed Rule Would Roll Back Expansion Of Association Health Plans
Last month, the U.S. Department of Labor proposed a rule rescinding a Trump-era regulation that expanded the use of Association Health Plans (AHPs). In a post for Health Affairs Forefront, CHIR’s Sabrina Corlette takes a look at the history of AHPs and what’s at stake in the Biden administration’s proposal to roll back the 2018 rule.
A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing: The Pitfalls of Treating Telehealth Coverage as an “Excepted Benefit”
Congress is considering legislation that would make telehealth coverage an “excepted benefit.” CHIR experts discussed how the bill would impact consumers when it advanced in the House of Representatives in early 2023. In light of recent efforts to add the proposal to the government funding package, CHIRblog is republishing their post.
Step-by-Step: Congressional Proposals Could Help Unlock Information Key to Curbing U.S. Health Care Spending
In recent years, outpatient care has contributed considerably to growth in U.S. health care spending. Efforts to curb outpatient spending have been stymied by fundamental problems connecting data on sites of care, providers, and specific charges, but a bill that recently passed the U.S. House of Representatives could provide new information necessary to craft reforms and slow spending growth.