Tag: health insurance marketplace

“For the first time in forever” women are now on more equal footing when it comes to health insurance

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A recent news article chronicled worries that the disproportionate number of women signing up for the new health insurance marketplaces will lead to an unbalanced risk pool and increases in premiums. But as Sarah Dash documents in her latest blog post, the ACA is requiring insurers to shift from denying care to women to providing them with better, more comprehensive coverage. And with insurers now required to offer coverage to everybody, it may be time to harness new, consumer-friendly ways to keep health care costs in check.

Halbig v. Sebelius and State Motivations to Opt for Federally Run Exchanges

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A number of states recently filed amicus briefs in a court battle over whether federally facilitated exchanges can provide premium tax credits to low- and middle-income consumers. Because the Affordable Care Act’s employer mandate penalties are contingent on employees accessing subsidized coverage through an exchange, the states are asserting that they purposefully opted for federally run exchanges so employers would not face this burden. In a guest post, former CHIR researcher Christine Monahan assesses the veracity of this claim.

How Do Updated 2014 Federal Poverty Level Thresholds Impact Medicaid, CHIP & Premium Tax Credit Eligibility?

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The Administration recently released updated federal poverty level thresholds for 2014. With eligibility for Medicaid, CHIP and premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act at stake, consumers and those assisting them need to understand what these new thresholds mean. Here to explain is our colleague at Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families, Martha Heberlein.

Here’s the Latest on Mandate Exemptions

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Now that 2014 is here, the ACA’s individual mandate is in effect. In the last few months the Administration has issued some more guidance about how the mandate works, and our colleague Joe Touschner at Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families provides this update.

New Report Finds that Most States Have Taken Some Action To Prepare For Major Components of the ACA

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States have taken substantially varying actions to implement and enforce the Affordable Care Act’s three major components designed to expand health insurance coverage and protect consumers—health insurance market reforms, health insurance marketplaces, and Medicaid expansion—according to a new report prepared for The Commonwealth Fund. Kevin Lucia summarizes the findings and what states’ varying approaches to implementation means for consumers.

The ACA: No Coverage for Biting Off Your Nose to Spite Your Face

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Millions of people are enrolling in health insurance coverage, thanks to the ACA. But one congressional representative recently decided to go without any health plan at all. CHIR blogger Sabrina Corlette examines the reasoning behind his decision – and the financial risks he may be facing.

Helping People Select Insurance Coverage: A Tale of Two Programs

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Shopping for and selecting a new health coverage plan can be challenging for many consumers. One government program – Medicare Part D – recently announced a new policy to make the process of selecting a prescription drug plan easier for beneficiaries. Sabrina Corlette compares the Medicare approach to that taken by the health insurance marketplaces – and shares new CHIR research on state actions to simplify consumers’ shopping experiences.

The ACA in 2014: Helping Consumers Transition to New Coverage

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The start of 2014 marks the transition to new health plans that must meet ACA standards for adequacy and affordability. But, as with any transition, there can be disruptions, particularly for people who are in the middle of treatment or need drugs that may not be on a new plan’s formulary. HHS has recently released fact sheets and an interim final rule to help consumers and health plans make a smooth transition. JoAnn Volk has this overview – and answers some common consumer questions.

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.