Health reform is entering a new stage. Going forward, federal and state policymakers must decide how to use the powers and tools granted them under the Affordable Care Act to stabilize risk pools, improve competition, and promote effective risk management. In this blog post Brookings scholar Henry Aaron and CHIR faculty Kevin Lucia and Justin Giovannelli discuss the challenges and opportunities ahead for the ACA’s marketplaces.
What triggers a special enrollment period to allow someone to enroll on the individual market outside of open enrollment has been a hot debated topic of late. Recently the administration issued a new rule tightening what life events trigger a special enrollment period. CHIR’s Sandy Ahn summarizes the new rule and what it means for consumers and the assisters that help them.
A new report released by Georgetown CHIR researchers used call center data from the Assister Help Resource Center to provide insights into consumer experiences enrolling in the Affordable Care Act marketplaces during the 2016 enrollment season. Authors Sabrina Corlette, Sandy Ahn and Hannah Ellison share some of their top findings.
A new Urban Institute study examines data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to analyze trends in insurance coverage for mothers. Our Center for Children and Families’ colleague Alisa Chester takes a look at their findings.
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.
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 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.
At last, the Internal Revenue Service has released guidance about what to do when a consumer has overlapping coverage through Medicaid and the Marketplace. Our colleague Tricia Brooks of Georgetown’s Center for Children and Families has the details.
The latest financial filings with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners show that 2015 was a rough year for the CO-OP plans created under the ACA. CHIR’s Sabrina Corlette takes a look at some of the reasons the CO-OPs have struggled.
Last week, HHS, Treasury and Labor released a proposed revised template for the Summary of Benefits and Coverage, giving the public 30 days to comment. JoAnn Volk provides an update on the long road to these changes, including key changes sought by consumers.
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.
