CHIRblog

No Rest for the Weary: Unexpected Defeat of ACA Repeal Effort Doesn’t Mean End of Threats to Law

Posted July 31, 2017 by

In the wake of the surprise defeat of the effort to repeal the ACA, President Trump called for letting the law “implode.” In fact, the executive branch has considerable power to undermine and roll back key elements of the ACA, without congressional involvement. CHIR’s Sabrina Corlette reviews potential administrative actions that could de-stabilize the marketplaces, and reduce the dramatic coverage gains experienced under the law.

Important Gains under the ACA for Cancer Patients And Their Families

Posted July 28, 2017 by CHIR Faculty

While there may be a respite from the push to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a new report by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, authored by CHIR’s JoAnn Volk and Sandy Ahn, exposes what’s at stake in the debate for cancer patients and their families. The report finds that the ACA improved access to coverage and provides significant financial protections. The report is based on more than a dozen interviews with hospital-based Financial Navigators, who work closely with cancer patients throughout their treatment and provide critical insight into the coverage experience of cancer patients.

“Small Business Health Plans”: Undermining States’ Authority and a Recipe for Fewer Plan Choices and Higher Premiums

Posted July 25, 2017 by CHIR Faculty

The U.S. Senate stands poised to debate a bill, the Better Care Reconciliation Act, that would not only repeal major provisions of the Affordable Care Act, but would also fundamentally alter the state-federal framework for insurance regulation. A key provision would create federally certified small business health plans that are exempt from most state laws. In their latest article for The Commonwealth Fund, Kevin Lucia and Sabrina Corlette examine the impact of this provision on small businesses and states’ historic authority to protect consumers and manage their insurance markets.

Insurer Q2 Earnings Reports Begin—How Will Companies React to Federal Uncertainty?

Posted July 24, 2017 by Emily Curran

We’re in the midst of second quarter financial earnings calls for some of the biggest health insurers participating in the Affordable Care Act marketplaces. These calls can be important indicators of the financial health of insurers as well as the stability of the individual market under the ACA. CHIR’s Emily Curran provides a preview.

New Special Enrollment Roadblocks for Consumers: Hindering, not Helping Consumers Get Coverage

Posted July 19, 2017 by CHIR Faculty

While Congressional leaders debate how to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, the Trump administration recently implemented new requirements for consumers seeking a special enrollment period for marketplace coverage. Designed to prevent people from waiting until they are sick before signing up for coverage, some of these new requirements could make it more difficult to enroll; others could reduce consumers’ plan choices. Sandy Ahn summarizes the new policy changes that went into effect last month.

A Head Scratcher of a Bill: Revised Senate Health Care Legislation Likely to Undermine Pre-existing Condition Protections, Upend Insurance Markets

Posted July 14, 2017 by

Policymakers promised to replace the Affordable Care Act with something that would cover “everybody,” with lower premiums and deductibles and continued protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Sabrina Corlette reviews the pending Senate Better Care Reconciliation Act to see if it lives up to the promises.

Have Employer Coverage? GOP Proposals Will Affect You Too (Part 2)

Posted July 11, 2017 by CHIR Faculty

Much of the focus of the debate over repealing and replacing the ACA has been on the individual insurance market. But over 150 million people get coverage through their employer, and bills pending in the House and Senate will affect them, too. In a post originally published on the Health Affairs’ Blog, CHIR’s JoAnn Volk and Sabrina Corlette explain what’s preserved, and what’s at risk, for people in job-based plans.

A Snake in the Grass? Choosing Between COBRA and Other Coverage Options After Leaving Employer Coverage

Posted July 7, 2017 by Rachel Schwab

Leaving a job comes with many challenges, not the least of which is securing new health insurance. The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) offers employees continued coverage on their job-based plan, but losing the employer subsidies could cause some to turn to the individual market to find lower premiums. With a Senate bill under consideration that reduces federal subsidies and strips away vital consumer protections, anyone leaving employer coverage will have to make a decision today about joining an insurance market that could look vastly different six months from now. On her last day at Georgetown, CHIR’s Rachel Schwab reflects on options for coverage after leaving a job-based plan.

What Makes Covering Maternity Care Different?

Posted July 5, 2017 by CHIR Faculty

The United States has a higher maternal mortality rate than any other developed country, but federal policy makers are considering reducing access to insurance coverage for pregnancy care. In a post for the Health Affairs blog, CHIR experts Dania Palanker and Kevin Lucia and Harkness Fellow Dimitra Panteli assess the latest policy proposal to allow states to waive out of the requirement that insurance plans in the individual market cover maternity and newborn care.

Amid Market Uncertainty, Trump Administration Retreats from Health Plan Oversight

Posted June 28, 2017 by CHIR Faculty

In mid-April, the Trump administration announced it would stop monitoring marketplace plans for compliance with several important federal protections and instead defer to states. In their latest blog post for The Commonwealth Fund, Justin Giovannelli and Kevin Lucia explain the new changes to insurance oversight, and assess the potential impact of this federal deregulation for states and consumers.