Navigator Guide FAQs of the Week: The Risks of Buying Coverage Outside the Marketplace

As 2023 comes to a close, it’s time to think about health insurance for 2024. Consumers searching for a 2024 plan online may come across products that do not have to comply with the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) consumer protections. This week, we’re highlighting frequently asked questions from our Navigator Resource Guide concerning the risks of buying coverage outside the ACA’s Marketplace.

What States Are Doing to Keep People Covered as Medicaid Continuous Coverage Enrollment Unwinds

Several state-based Marketplaces have deployed innovative programs to keep people covered during the Medicaid unwinding. In their latest post for the Commonwealth Fund, CHIR’s Rachel Swindle and Sabrina Corlette assess the status of these programs and discuss the urgent need for more timely and accurate data on people transitioning from Medicaid to other forms of coverage.

Navigator Guide FAQs of the Week: Marketplace Coverage Issues for LGBTQI+ Individuals

It’s time to sign up for 2024 coverage on the Affordable Care Act’s Marketplaces. This week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is spotlighting how the Marketplaces can serve LGBTQI+ individuals, a community that has historically faced discriminatory barriers to health insurance and health care. Here are a few frequently asked questions (FAQs) from CHIR’s Navigator Resource Guide about some Marketplace coverage issues that LGBTQI+ individuals may face.

Navigator Guide FAQs of the Week: Comparing Plans

The deadline to sign up for Marketplace coverage that begins January 1 is fast approaching. This week, we’re spotlighting frequently asked questions (FAQs) from our Navigator Resource Guide about how to compare benefits and out-of-pocket costs across Marketplace plans.

In An Era Of Premium And Provider Price Increases, State Employee Health Plans Target Key Cost Drivers

It’s open enrollment season for many employer health plans, and the rising cost of care may increase workers’ premiums and out-of-pocket expenditures. Recently, CHIR surveyed state employee health plans (SEHP) to identify challenges and opportunities for controlling health care costs. In a new post for Health Affairs Forefront, Sabrina Corlette and Karen Davenport discuss the survey findings and how SEHP strategies can inform broader cost containment efforts.

The Impact of Unions on Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance

In just the first eight months of 2023, over 323,000 workers engaged in a labor action against their employers. Unions have been demanding better wages, protections, and benefits—including better health plans. CHIR’s Maanasa Kona takes a look at the role of unions in securing affordable health coverage for workers, including the innovative strategies they’ve used to reduce the unsustainable growth in health system costs.

October Research Roundup: What We’re Reading

In preparation for Health Policy Halloween, CHIR read up on the latest health policy research. In October, we read studies on consumer experiences enrolling in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace, health care affordability issues among the insured and uninsured, and the impact of Medicaid expansion on coverage in heavily redlined areas.

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.