You have to give them credit – health insurers are showing just how creative they can be at shirking their obligation to provide new consumer protections under the Affordable Care Act. Sabrina Corlette takes a look at one of their latest tactics.
Last week was a busy week for those focused on robust consumer assistance in the new health insurance marketplaces. The Department of Health and Human Services announced new navigator grants and released training materials for navigators and other consumer assisters. Sabrina Corlette takes a look at the grantees and dives into the new training modules.
This week the New York Times reported on an Administration decision to allow employers and group health plans to delay until 2015 an Affordable Care Act requirement to provide enrollees with a cap on their out-of-pocket costs. David Cusano takes a look at what the Administration’s decision says – and does not say – and what it means for group health plans.
The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General recently examined the progress of the new Consumer Operated and Oriented Plans (CO-OPs), created under the ACA. Their report shows that the CO-OPs are mostly meeting key milestones, but also face some tough challenges. Sabrina Corlette takes a closer look.
Today, CHIR released a new report exploring how private insurers and state regulators are incorporating and enforcing new nondiscrimination standards under the Affordable Care Act. Katie Keith, one of the report’s authors, has highlights from the report and discusses what the findings mean for these new protections.
Health insurance is a complicated product that consumers have difficulty understanding, a common theme throughout Wednesday’s Senate Commerce Committee hearing on “The Power of Transparency: Giving Consumers the Information They Need to Make Smart Choices in the Health Insurance Market.” Fortunately, new tools are already available to help consumers shop for and compare coverage, and more will become available as Affordable Care Act implementation continues to roll out.
Last week the Administration released its final rule implementing the ACA's insurance market reforms. Many of these provisions have generated deserved attention for the important protections they'll bring to consumers. Getting less attention, but just as important, are the rule's rate review provisions. Sabrina Corlette takes a look.
The Administration released its final regulation on the Affordable Care Act's requirement that plans cover a minimum set of essential health benefits. Sabrina Corlette took a peek and examines the pluses – and minuses – for consumers.
Next year’s premiums for individual market plans will be way down in New York thanks to the Affordable Care Act. Christine Monahan discusses how a competitive exchange and the individual mandate will provide relief to cash-strapped New Yorkers.
In comments to federal regulators on recent proposed rules, the NAIC added its voice to the chorus of stakeholders who have weighed in on some of the Affordable Care Act’s most significant protections. Katie Keith has highlights from the NAIC's four comment letters on the 2014 market reforms, essential health benefits, multi-state plans, and the rate review template.
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.
