Tag: employer coverage

No Surprises Act: Exploring the Impact on Employees, Employers and Costs

Posted by

On March 7, CHIR hosted the second event in a series of policy briefings on the future of employer-sponsored health insurance, sponsored by Arnold Ventures. This event, featuring remarks from Congressman “Bobby” Scott and a panel discussion moderated by Julie Appleby of KFF Health News, focused on the No Surprises Act’s impact on consumers and implementation challenges associated with the independent dispute resolution process.

December–January Research Roundup: What We’re Reading

Posted by

This winter, CHIR curled up with some good reads: the latest in health policy research. In December and January, we read studies on trends in employer-sponsored insurance, expanding insurance options for non-citizens, and state efforts to improve provider directory accuracy.

In An Era Of Premium And Provider Price Increases, State Employee Health Plans Target Key Cost Drivers

Posted by

It’s open enrollment season for many employer health plans, and the rising cost of care may increase workers’ premiums and out-of-pocket expenditures. Recently, CHIR surveyed state employee health plans (SEHP) to identify challenges and opportunities for controlling health care costs. In a new post for Health Affairs Forefront, Sabrina Corlette and Karen Davenport discuss the survey findings and how SEHP strategies can inform broader cost containment efforts.

The Impact of Unions on Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance

Posted by

In just the first eight months of 2023, over 323,000 workers engaged in a labor action against their employers. Unions have been demanding better wages, protections, and benefits—including better health plans. CHIR’s Maanasa Kona takes a look at the role of unions in securing affordable health coverage for workers, including the innovative strategies they’ve used to reduce the unsustainable growth in health system costs.

Questionable Conduct: Allegations Against Insurers Acting as Third-Party Administrators

Posted by

Nearly half of U.S. residents are enrolled in employer-sponsored health insurance. Many of these plans use third-party administrators (TPAs), intermediaries—frequently insurance companies themselves—that help build provider networks, design benefit packages, and adjudicate claims, among other responsibilities. But a TPA’s interests may not align with those of their employer clients. CHIR’s Christine Monahan highlights several examples of questionable insurer-TPA practices uncovered in recent years.

January Research Roundup: What We’re Reading

Posted by

Welcome to another year of health policy research. In the first month of 2023, CHIR reviewed studies on how policies expanding health coverage would impact household spending, surprise medical bills generated by ground ambulance rides, and health care costs associated with substance use disorders.

ERISA 101: The United States’ Hands-Off Approach to Regulating Employer Health Plans

Posted by

Amidst growing health care costs, adequate health insurance coverage is increasingly unaffordable for employers and employees. There is a growing focus on the role employer-sponsored plans can play in health care cost containment, but under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the access, affordability, and adequacy of employer coverage is dictated less by law and regulation and more by individual employers.

The Erosion of Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance and Potential Policy Responses

Posted by

Employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) covers 160 million Americans, but the adequacy of these plans is in decline. In a new series for CHIRblog, Maanasa Kona and Sabrina Corlette assess some proposed policy options designed to improve the affordability of ESI. The first blog of the series looks at the primary drivers of the erosion occurring in ESI and identifies three recognized policy options to improve affordability for employers and workers alike.

Fixing the Family Glitch: Federal Rules Aim to Improve Coverage Affordability for Working Families

Posted by

Roughly 5 million people are currently unable to access marketplace subsidies due to a flawed interpretation of the Affordable Care Act dubbed the “family glitch.” Last month, the Biden administration proposed new rules, grounded in a revised interpretation of the law, which would increase access to affordable coverage for families of low and moderate-income workers. Karen Davenport looks at the proposed regulatory fix and how it will impact consumers and other health insurance stakeholders.

August Research Roundup: What We’re Reading

Posted by

For the latest monthly roundup of health policy research, CHIR’s Rachel Swindle takes a look at studies published in August on the how the uninsured rate has held steady during the COVID-19 pandemic and expiration of cost-sharing waivers for COVID-19 treatment.

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.