individual market

The Congressional Budget Office Definition of “Health Insurance” Leaves Room for Wide Coverage Gaps, Discrimination

Posted November 19, 2020 by Rachel Schwab

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) frequently estimates how policy proposals will affect rates of health insurance coverage. To make these assessments, the agency relies on a definition including coverage that can discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions and fail to cover key health services like prescription drugs, practices that are outlawed in the individual health insurance market under the ACA. CHIR’s Rachel Schwab takes a look at the CBO’s current definition of health insurance, and the impact it has on health insurance reform efforts.

What’s at Stake: The World of Health Insurance for People with Pre-Existing Conditions before the ACA

Posted October 13, 2020 by Megan Houston

As hearings begin for the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, Senators are using their time to emphasize the case challenging the ACA that will be heard one week after election day. CHIR expert Megan Houston reflects on the protections secured by the ACA that many now are taking for granted.

Individual Market Insurance Brokers Report Improved Consumer Options, But Also Risks from Short-term and Other Alternative Products

Posted April 21, 2020 by CHIR Faculty

In a new report, CHIR researchers teamed up with the Urban Institute to assess trends in the individual health insurance market by talking to brokers across the country. Although the Affordable Care Act market appears to be stabilizing, many brokers report new risks for consumers.

A Perfect Storm: New Federal Rules on Health Reimbursement Arrangements Exacerbate Dangers of Unregulated Products

Posted August 2, 2019 by Rachel Schwab

Next year, new Trump administration rules will allow employers to offer their employees an HRA to buy individual market coverage instead of a traditional group health plan. Because of an obscure provision of the tax code, many employees will be required to use the new accounts to shop for a plan outside of the ACA’s marketplaces, where they’ll face aggressive marketing of products that do not have to comply with the ACA’s consumer protections. Rachel Schwab looks at this perfect storm that puts workers at risk of ending up in the wrong plan.

April Research Round Up: What We’re Reading

Posted May 15, 2019 by Olivia Hoppe

April showers bring May flowers, and plenty of health policy research. This month, CHIR’s Olivia Hoppe reviews studies on the burden of health care costs on families, the affordability of employer-sponsored insurance, the effects of hospital concentration on insurance premiums, and why Medicaid insurers hesitate to sell plans on the Affordable Care Act’s individual market.

Stakeholders React to the Administration’s Proposed Rule on Health Reimbursement Arrangements. Part 4: Consumer, Patient, and Union Organizations

Posted March 15, 2019 by Olivia Hoppe

In October, the Departments of Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services issued a proposed rule that aims to expand the “flexibility and use” of health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs). To understand reactions to the proposal, CHIR reviewed a sample of comments from state officials, insurers, consumer advocates, and employer, broker and benefit advisor groups. In Part 4 of this blog series, we highlight comments from six consumer and patient advocates and employee unions.

New Report Documents Barriers for People with Mental Illness, Substance Use Disorders Buying Coverage Before the ACA

Posted June 20, 2018 by JoAnn Volk

In a report released this week by the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI), Georgetown researchers Dania Palanker, JoAnn Volk and Kevin Lucia document the many ways that individual market plans available before the Affordable Care Act (ACA) fell far short of providing adequate, affordable coverage for people with mental illness and substance use disorders.

February 2018 Research Round Up: What We’re Reading

Posted March 1, 2018 by Olivia Hoppe

In CHIRblog’s February installment of What We’re Reading, CHIR’s Olivia Hoppe digs into new research that highlights the consequences of the recent short-term limited-duration health plan rule, the effects of expanded private insurance on access to primary and specialty care, the impact of the ACA’s dependent coverage provision on birth and prenatal outcomes, and an assessment of state-level efforts to expand access, affordability, and quality of coverage.

2018 Outlook: What Health Insurance Experts at CHIR Will be Watching

Posted January 3, 2018 by CHIR Faculty

Last year brought a lot of surprises in health care policy, and 2018 is shaping up to be more of the same. Here health insurance experts at CHIR, including Sabrina Corlette, Kevin Lucia, JoAnn Volk, Justin Giovannelli, and Dania Palanker share the policies and market trends that they’ll be watching in the year to come.