Tag: health insurance marketplace

Deadline for January 1, 2016 Coverage Approaching: What to Do

The deadline for having health insurance starting on January 1, 2016 is quickly approaching. Consumers who want marketplace coverage must enroll by December 15, 2015 for a January 1, 2016 effective date. CHIR summarizes what to do and highlights Frequently Asked Questions related to open enrollment.

No QHPs Comparable to CHIP, Says (Delayed) HHS Certification

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has finally released a long-awaited study comparing coverage in CHIP plans to qualified health plans offered through the Affordable Care Act marketplaces. Our colleague from Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families, Elisabeth Wright Burak, takes a look and shares the (not altogether surprising) findings.

Feds Propose Changes – and an Expanded Role – for Marketplace Navigators

A new proposed rule from the Obama Administration contains wide-ranging new requirements for insurance companies and marketplaces under the Affordable Care Act, including changes that expand the role of marketplace navigators. CHIR’s Sabrina Corlette shares some highlights.

Shop to Renew During Open Enrollment

While many consumers with marketplace coverage will be eligible for automatic renewal, there are many reasons for all consumers to shop to renew this year. For example, price changes to health plans as well as changes to the health plans themselves will impact the amount of premium tax credits and coverage for many consumers. We go over the reasons why all consumers should shop to renew this open enrollment.

Who’s got the Best Crystal Ball? Estimates for 2016 ACA Enrollment

Experts and prognosticators have given widely different estimates for total enrollment through the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces for 2016. Sabrina Corlette offers her take on those projections and what they mean for assessing the law’s impact.

The Experiences of State-Run Insurance Marketplaces That Use HealthCare.gov

Whether their exchange is state-based or federally facilitated, many state policymakers are seeking ways to realize the advantages of a state-run marketplace model while minimizing, so far as possible, the financial and operational burdens of building or maintaining one. In a new issue brief for The Commonwealth Fund, CHIR researchers explore the experiences of four states that established their own exchanges but have operated them with support from the federal HealthCare.gov eligibility and enrollment platform.

Why ACA Marketplaces Should Report Comprehensive Enrollment Data

The Affordable Care Act’s new health insurance marketplaces could be critical sources of data about how people access and use coverage. Yet, to date, the marketplaces have released varying degrees of information, with little uniformity or consensus over what data should be collected and how. In our latest post for The Commonwealth Fund, CHIR researchers Sean Miskell, Justin Giovannelli and Kevin Lucia examine data collection and reporting by the health insurance marketplaces.

Consumer Assistance and Tools Needed to Ensure that All Eligible Marketplace Enrollees Get Cost-Sharing Reductions

A recent study has found that as many as 2.2 million people are missing out on Affordable Care Act cost-sharing subsidies that could make their insurance coverage more affordable. Our Center for Children and Families colleague, Tricia Brooks, discusses some critical tools the state and federal marketplaces could put in place to make sure consumers are getting the financial help they’re eligible for.

New Georgetown Report Calls for Harnessing of ‘Big Data’ for Better Health Plan Oversight and Consumer Protection

Last week the Obama Administration took a small step forward to implement Affordable Care Act transparency rules. This week, CHIR researchers Sabrina Corlette, JoAnn Volk and Sandy Ahn released a new report outlining a new and powerful data collection and transparency framework that can help state and federal policymakers better understand how insurers are complying with new market rules and consumer protections.

Feds Take a Baby Step Forward on ACA’s Sunshine Rules

The Obama Administration has taken a step forward to implement long-delayed transparency provisions of the ACA, which require insurers and employer-based health plans to report a range of data to help policymakers and consumers better understand how insurance is working for people. CHIR expert Sabrina Corlette finds the latest action to be just a baby step, as well as a missed opportunity.

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.