health insurance marketplace

It’s enough to make you loopy: inside the Kafka-esque world of Medicaid “loopers”

Posted April 27, 2014 by

Remember the Medicaid loopers? These are people who applied for coverage through the health insurance Marketplace, to be told they were initially assessed as Medicaid eligible, and to apply for coverage with their state’s Medicaid agency. If the Medicaid agency rejected their application, they were then bounced back to the Marketplace. In this blog post, Sabrina Corlette takes a look at one family’s efforts to get through a maze of bureaucracy to obtain coverage for their children.

Understanding Special Enrollment Periods, Part 2: Where does COBRA fit in?

Posted April 18, 2014 by JoAnn Volk

How does COBRA fit into coverage options now that people who lose employer-sponsored coverage have other insurance options under the ACA? In this blog post, JoAnn Volk takes up that question and looks at what an offer of COBRA means for special enrollment periods under the ACA.

Recommendations to Strengthen Navigator and Assister Programs

Posted April 8, 2014 by CHIR Faculty

With the close of open enrollment in the new health insurance Marketplaces, it is a good time not only to applaud the work of the navigators and consumer assisters who helped people gain access to new coverage, but also to reflect on lessons learned and assess what can be done to improve consumer assistance for 2015. Our colleague at Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families, Tricia Brooks, does just that in her latest post.

Who Gets Extra Time “In Line” and Beyond to Enroll in Health Coverage?

Posted April 4, 2014 by CHIR Faculty

The Obama Administration is allowing extra time to enroll in the health insurance Marketplaces for people who, through no fault of their own, have been unable to complete the process. But the options are different, depending on people’s different circumstances. Our Georgetown University Center for Children and Families colleague Tricia Brooks explains.

Florida’s ObamaCare Alternative: After 6 Years, is this the Best They Can Do?

Posted April 3, 2014 by

Six years in the making, an insurance exchange finally opened last month in Florida, and it’s called “Florida Health Choices.” But it doesn’t offer consumers or small businesses actual health insurance. Sabrina Corlette takes a look at Florida’s latest health reform effort.

Understanding Special Enrollment Periods, Part 1: A Look at Some Who Will be Out of Luck

Posted March 31, 2014 by JoAnn Volk

Navigators have been fielding a range of questions. One that comes up repeatedly is whether an individual who falls into the so-called Medicaid coverage gap and later gets a job with income that would qualify them for premium tax credits can get a special enrollment period. JoAnn Volk takes a look at the options for these individuals.

New Tools to Help Consumers Compare Health Plans

Posted March 27, 2014 by CHIR Faculty

One of the most difficult elements of enrolling in the new health insurance Marketplaces is plan selection. Consumers are often overwhelmed and confused about their options. In this guest post, former CHIR colleague and ACA expert Christine Monahan discusses a new tool that can help consumers make better plan choices.

People Who Have Tried to Enroll through HealthCare.Gov Get Extension Beyond March 31st

Posted March 26, 2014 by CHIR Faculty

The Obama Administration has announced that consumers who’ve faced difficulties enrolling in the new health insurance Marketplaces will get some extra time to sign up. Our colleague at Georgetown’s Center for Children and Families, Tricia Brooks, has an overview of the decision.

HHS Proposes to Preempt Some State Navigator Laws; Lays Out Federal Enforcement Framework

Posted March 17, 2014 by

In a proposed regulation released Friday, March 14, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services drew a line in the sand for states with laws restricting the ability of Navigators and consumer assisters to perform the jobs required of them under the ACA. Sabrina Corlette has an overview of the proposed rules and what they mean for Navigators and for states.

Time for a Dental Check Up

Posted March 14, 2014 by CHIR Faculty

One challenging question for families as they enroll in health insurance coverage on the new Marketplaces is what to do about kids’ dental coverage. Our colleague at Georgetown’s Center for Children and Families, Joe Touschner, has the skinny and links to some helpful resources to better understand this complex policy area – and how things might change for 2015.