…to permit mid-sized groups to remain part of the large-group market for up to two more years, and thus be exempt from the small-group market reforms. Not surprisingly, states are dealing with this challenge in different ways. In a new blog post for the Commonwealth Fund, CHIR researchers Ashley Williams and Sabrina Corlette share the results of a 50-state survey…
…physician should not be allowed to prescribe medication only after getting a video, telephonic or online account of a patient’s symptoms. However, with the prevalence of smartphones, videoconferencing capacity, and the ease of exchanging information, technological advances are increasing the ways in which patients can communicate with physicians. While many would agree that telemedicine has its limits, for example, in…
…of providers not accepting new Medicaid patients Geographic location and accessibility of providers and enrollees Ability of providers to ensure physical access, accommodations, and accessible equipment for Medicaid enrollees with physical or mental disabilities Ability of providers to ensure culturally competent communication, including the ability to communicate with limited English proficient enrollees in their preferred language CMS requests comment on…
…is locked in a budget battle with Florida’s Republican-controlled legislature over the merits of accepting federal Medicaid expansion funding. Scott complained recently that, “the growth in Medicare costs, Medicaid costs, it’s always multiples.” Also count on groups opposed to the ACA who now complain that large enrollment numbers mean “that’s twice as much money that’s being added to the national…
May 15th marks the official start of rate review season for state and federal insurance regulators. It used to be that each state had its own timeline and process for reviewing health insurers’ proposed premium rates, but those days appear to be over. The federal government, through the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO) is mandating a more…
…Because marketplaces operate in a dynamic environment, many have been forced to reassess how they support themselves, leading states to pursue both incremental changes to their financing method as well as more fundamental shifts, such as transferring some aspects of marketplace operations to the federal government. In their latest blog post for the Commonwealth Fund, Sean Miskell, Justin Giovannelli, Kevin…
…single application. A state pursuing a Section 1332 waiver must, “through its Web site or other effective means of communication,” provide a comprehensive description of its application, information on where copies of the application are available for public review, information on how and where to submit comments, and the location, date, and time of the state’s public hearings on the…
…identified for states that don’t choose a plan – CCIIO will publish state selections for public comment. But advocates shouldn’t wait for that public comment period. Advocates wishing to weigh in on their state process have a few immediate advocacy options: Ask your state officials (likely the Department of Insurance but possibly the marketplace or governor’s staff) if they have…
By Justin Giovannelli, Kevin Lucia, and Sabrina Corlette The prevalence on the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance marketplaces of plans with relatively limited provider networks has attracted substantial interest among consumers, policymakers, stakeholders, and the media. A “narrow network” plan may offer value to consumers, if it pairs a comparatively lower premium with meaningful access to a sufficient array of…
…to get a formal Medicaid denial, either through the Marketplace or through their state’s Medicaid agency. That meant those individuals who didn’t bother to go through the process of applying for Medicaid, just to get a denial they knew was coming, wouldn’t be able to take advantage of the SEP. But the situation is about to improve for individuals in…
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.
