HHS recently issued a new set of frequently asked questions designed to address some issues that have been raised by the coverage of preventive services under the Affordable Care Act. Kevin Lucia takes a look at the guidance in the context of screening colonoscopy and discusses how it adds up in light of a recent CHIR report that explored how private insurers are applying cost-sharing for colorectal cancer screening.
Although the federal government will play a primary role in administering the navigator program in the 33 states with a federally facilitated exchange, many state legislatures have enacted or considered legislation that subjects navigators to state requirements. In a post that originally appeared on The Commonwealth Fund Blog, Katie Keith, Kevin Lucia, and Christine Monahan describe the role of navigators and well as the potentially detrimental impact of this recent state legislative activity on effective consumer outreach.
The Administration says it wants young and healthy people to enroll in the new health insurance exchanges. Why then did they just shut a lot of young and healthy people out? Sabrina Corlette examines yesterday’s decision to effectively bar students enrolled in self-funded college or university health plans from the exchanges.
With the fast approach to open enrollment for the new health insurance marketplaces, there is growing interest in navigators and other assisters who will help people learn about their coverage options and get enrolled. JoAnn Volk explains how CHIR will be adding to the private insurance knowledge and support for navigators and assisters with a quick reference guide on private health insurance and the reforms of the ACA.
On Sunday, June 23, there will be 100 days before the launch of the new insurance exchanges under the ACA. A new report by Georgetown’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms and colleagues at the Health Policy Institute draws lessons from the recent launch of the Medicare prescription drug program to put the challenges facing the ACA roll out into context.
Since the enactment of the Affordable Care Act, the roles of states and the federal government in establishing health insurance exchanges—marketplaces where people can shop for comprehensive and affordable health plans—have evolved considerably. In a post that originally appeared on The Commonwealth Fund Blog, Sarah Dash, Christine Monahan, and Kevin Lucia describe where exchange establishment decisions currently stand.
Amid debate about the cost of health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, our colleague at Georgetown’s Center for Children and Families, Joe Touschner, helps us understand how the law’s premium tax credits will make coverage more affordable for millions of consumers. In this blog he shares some recently released resources that help simplify this complex topic.
Whether or not small employers will begin self-funding in greater numbers as the Affordable Care Act is fully implemented continues to be a hot topic. In the midst of significant media attention, Christine Monahan looks at two states that have decided to take action.
Of the many consumer protection tools available to health insurance regulators, one of the most powerful is the ability to review premium rates. Yet, some states have made recent decisions to abdicate this authority to federal regulators. Sally McCarty discusses recently enacted legislation in Florida that suspends the state’s rate review requirements – and what it means for insurers, regulators, and consumers.
The state-based and federally facilitated marketplaces have been busy recruiting and selecting navigators, and now attention turns to training and support. In this guest blog from our Center for Children and Families colleague Tricia Brooks, she makes the case for a robust, holistic approach to building, supporting, and sustaining a high-functioning network of assisters that can ensure consumers needs are fully met.
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.
