On April 29, the Obama Administration signaled a phased-in approach to implementing the quality rating system for marketplace health plans. Officials also released a final proposal implementing the Affordable Care Act’s transparency rules. Sabrina Corlette provides an update.
The NAIC held its Spring Meeting earlier this month and looked at SEPs, balance billing, risk adjustment and more. JoAnn Volk sums up the meeting and looks ahead to work to come.
With health insurers’ rate filings looming on the horizon, many are concerned we’ll see proposed premium increases for 2017. But a report released last week demonstrates that, behind the headlines, consumers are likely to see more affordable premiums after they’ve shopped for the best deal. At the same time, another study shows that consumers’ out-of-pocket costs for health services are steadily rising. Sean Miskell has the details.
On Thursday, April 14, CHIR’s own Sabrina Corlette testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Education and Workforce Committee. The hearing focused on innovations in employer-sponsored health insurance, and included discussion of workplace wellness programs, private insurance exchanges, and multi-payer delivery system reform efforts.
There’s no question the ACA has been successful in reducing the number of uninsured. But what has that coverage meant for helping more people obtain affordable health care services and attain financial security? CHIR researchers visited 3 diverse communities to find out. JoAnn Volk reports on a new CHIR study that tells the story.
Health plans have been increasingly narrowing their provider networks, raising concerns about gaps in access to services for consumers, particularly in areas with provider shortages. Could telemedicine be used to help fill those gaps? CHIR authors say not yet and summarizes key findings from a new report published in partnership with the Urban Institute and with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Health reform advocates experienced a win last month, when a federal court in Missouri struck down three sections of a state law that interfered with the ability of health insurance navigators and other in-person assisters to help consumers understand and enroll in new coverage options. CHIR’s own Emily Curran reviewed the court’s decision and provides some takeaways.
Three years ago, only 3 states and DC prohibited insurance companies from excluding care for transgendered individuals from health plans. Today, that number has grown to 15 states, signalling that state policymakers are increasingly recognizing that transgender policy exclusions fly in the face of medical evidence and laws prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity. Our former CHIR colleague, Katie Keith, shares findings from an assessment of state actions and their impacts.
Congress recently passed legislation allowing states to decide on the shape of the market for small business health insurance. Which states took action, and how? In their latest blog post for the Commonwealth Fund, CHIR researchers Sabrina Corlette, Ashley Williams and Kevin Lucia share findings from a 50-state review.
The quarterly earnings calls of publicly traded health insurance companies can provide insights into major business developments, as well as how company executives expect market trends and policy actions to affect future performance. CHIR’s Emily Curran regularly listens into these calls and highlights how they can be useful for health policy wonks.
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.
