Sebelius Will Be a Tough Act to Follow

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Secretary Sebelius will soon be stepping down as head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She led the agency through an extraordinary time of health system transformation. One person who knew she would be up to the job – and who knows she’s a tough act to follow – is her former insurance commissioner colleague, Sally McCarty. In this post, Sally looks back at her two decades of working with Sebelius and celebrates the tenure of a remarkable Secretary.

Recommendations to Strengthen Navigator and Assister Programs

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With the close of open enrollment in the new health insurance Marketplaces, it is a good time not only to applaud the work of the navigators and consumer assisters who helped people gain access to new coverage, but also to reflect on lessons learned and assess what can be done to improve consumer assistance for 2015. Our colleague at Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families, Tricia Brooks, does just that in her latest post.

More New Resources Available to State Regulators

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A set of new tools for state insurance regulators, as well as updated versions of some older resources, have recently been posted on the Robert Wood Johnson State Health Reform Assistance Network (State Network) web site. CHIR faculty Sally McCarty, David Cusano, and Max Farris, who serve as technical assistance professionals (TAPS) in the State Network Program, developed the new resources. Sally McCarty describes them here and provides information about an upcoming Webinar to introduce them and demonstrate their use.

Who Gets Extra Time “In Line” and Beyond to Enroll in Health Coverage?

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The Obama Administration is allowing extra time to enroll in the health insurance Marketplaces for people who, through no fault of their own, have been unable to complete the process. But the options are different, depending on people’s different circumstances. Our Georgetown University Center for Children and Families colleague Tricia Brooks explains.

Two States on the Path to the Basic Health Program

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Both Minnesota and New York are on the path to setting up a Basic Health Program (BHP) that will provide more affordable coverage for low-income families than they may find on the marketplace. Georgetown University Center for Children and Families’ Sonya Schwartz has an update on where the BHP program stands and what it means for families.

A Limited Extension for Insurance Enrollment: Precedents from Part D

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Recently, the Obama administration extended the enrollment period for people who’ve faced roadblocks in their attempts to sign up for a health plan by March 31. Some observers have compared this action to the flexibility exercised by the Bush administration in the roll out of Medicare Part D. Others say it was quite different. Our Georgetown Health Policy Institute colleague and Medicare expert Jack Hoadley cuts through the rhetoric and points us to the precedents to pay attention to.

New Tools to Help Consumers Compare Health Plans

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One of the most difficult elements of enrolling in the new health insurance Marketplaces is plan selection. Consumers are often overwhelmed and confused about their options. In this guest post, former CHIR colleague and ACA expert Christine Monahan discusses a new tool that can help consumers make better plan choices.

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.