aca implementation

Proposed Premium Rate Increases for 2016: The Jury Is Still Out

Posted July 21, 2015 by CHIR Faculty

There’s been some hand-wringing over large proposed premium increases for health plans in 2016. But it’s important to remember that rate requests vary – a lot – by insurer and location. And that these rates are only proposed. They’re subject to regulatory scrutiny, and many proposed hikes may be reduced. In their latest blog post for the Commonwealth Fund, CHIR experts Sean Miskell and Dave Cusano discuss the drivers of 2016 premiums and states’ role in keeping coverage affordable.

Supporting Health Plan Oversight: Consumer Organization Directory for State Regulators

Posted July 16, 2015 by CHIR Faculty

In the wake of formal complaints that insurers are marketing health plans with discriminatory benefit designs, state insurance regulators are under increasing pressure to subject these plans to greater scrutiny. But with limited resources and manpower, states are feeling squeezed. As part of a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation project to support states with Affordable Care Act implementation, CHIR researchers Kayla Connor and Sally McCarty created a directory of consumer organizations willing to partner with states to conduct plan analyses.

Highlights on the FFM Approach for 2016 Open Enrollment

Posted July 9, 2015 by CHIR Faculty

Hard to believe, but open enrollment for 2016 coverage is just four months away. As we get closer to the start of OE 2016 – November 1, 2015 to January 31, 2016 – CHIR’s Sandy Ahn highlights some of the FFM’s approach to redeterminations and re-enrollments.

CHIR Expert Sabrina Corlette Testifies before U.S. Senate Roundtable on Small Business Health Care

Posted July 8, 2015 by CHIR Faculty

On July 7 the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee held a roundtable discussion about challenges and opportunities facing the small business health insurance market. CHIR Senior Research Fellow Sabrina Corlette was invited to join the conversation about the SHOP marketplaces, self-funded plans, the change in the definition of the small group market, and more.

King v Burwell: An Exercise in Sound and Fury Signifying Nothing

Posted June 29, 2015 by CHIR Faculty

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision in King v. Burwell, our colleague at Georgetown University Law Center’s O’Neill Institute, Tim Westmoreland, considers the case. He finds that, for all the accompanying politics and drama, it never passed the laugh test.

Changes to the Affordable Care Act’s Health Plan Summaries – and More to Come

Posted June 22, 2015 by JoAnn Volk

The Affordable Care Act’s Summary of Benefits and Coverage – standardized, easy-to-use summaries of health plan benefits got an update last week with new regulations out from the Obama Administration. CHIR’s JoAnn Volk provides an overview – as well as a preview of some likely additional upgrades.

Not One, Not Two but Three New Resources from CHIR: Small Business Health Plans in a Post-ACA World

Posted June 15, 2015 by CHIR Faculty

There’s been some renewed attention to the status and future of the small business health insurance market, particularly as an Affordable Care Act reform scheduled to go into effect in 2016 could cause some disruption. Last week CHIR researchers contributed to three great new resources to help policymakers and others understand changes in the market and some of the challenges ahead.

State Decisions on Allowing Mid-Sized Employers to Delay a Move to the Small-Group Insurance Market

Posted June 10, 2015 by CHIR Faculty

Beginning in 2016, the Affordable Care Act requires states to change the definition of “small employer” from one with up to 50 employees to up to 100 employees. Such a change could affect health insurance coverage and prices for small businesses and their workers. However, many states are taking advantage of a transition period offered by the Obama Administration that would delay this change. Ashley Williams and Sabrina Corlette, in their latest blog post for the Commonwealth Fund, report on the results of a 50-state survey and the implications for the small group insurance market.

New Guidance Clarifying Preventive Services under the Affordable Care Act

Posted May 22, 2015 by CHIR Faculty

The Affordable Care Act requires most health plans to cover preventive services without cost sharing and enables consumers to access evidence-based medical care such as cancer screenings and immunizations for children. Implementation of this requirement, however, has raised questions and caused confusion among insurers, providers and consumers. Sandy Ahn reviews the Administration’s most recent guidance on this critical ACA provision, designed to clarify for insurers what they must do to comply and ensure that consumers receive the benefits they are promised under the law.