Tag: public health emergency

Searching for a New Normal: How Expiration of the Federal Public Health Emergency Impacts Access to Health Care Services

After more than three years, the federal COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) is set to expire on May 11, 2023. Once the PHE designation is lifted, a number of federal policies intended to help the U.S. health care system adapt to the pandemic will also expire. CHIR’s Emma Walsh-Alker reviews selected policies tied to the PHE and evaluates how the impending expiration will impact consumers’ access to services.

The State of State Protections: Maintaining Access to Services after Transitioning from Medicaid

As states resume conducting Medicaid and CHIP re-determinations of eligibility, the U.S. faces the most dramatic shift in coverage since implementation of the Affordable Care Act. As millions of people transition from Medicaid to private insurance coverage, they could experience disruptions in critical health care services. In their latest post for the Commonwealth Fund, Sabrina Corlette and Maanasa Kona review state-level continuity of care protections and actions states can take to preserve access to life-saving services for our most medically vulnerable.

November Research Roundup: What We’re Reading

CHIR had a lot to be thankful for this November, including new health policy research. For the latest installment of our monthly research roundup, we reviewed studies on consumer awareness of Medicaid renewals resuming when the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) expires, integrating health equity into value-based payment models, and trends in hospital consolidation across health care markets.

Supporting Continuity of Coverage from Medicaid into the Marketplace: Post-PHE Considerations for States

States are expected to resume redeterminations of Medicaid eligibility in early 2023, resulting in a projected 15 million people losing access to Medicaid. Ensuring these individuals transfer to another source of coverage smoothly and seamlessly is a particular challenge for states. In their latest Expert Perspective for the State Health & Value Strategies program, Jason Levitis and Sabrina Corlette delve into specific options for states to promote continuity of coverage.

October Research Roundup: What We’re Reading

The leaves may be changing, but the importance of health policy research is evergreen. Last month, we read up on the results of a survey on the state of U.S. health insurance coverage, enrollment patterns on- and off-marketplace, and the impact of marketplace enrollment strategies.

August Research Roundup: What We’re Reading

For the August edition of our monthly research roundup, CHIR said farewell to summer by reviewing the latest health policy research. This month, we summarize studies on how the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) will impact health coverage, global efforts to achieve universal health coverage, and the effects of eliminating nominal marketplace premiums.

Ensuring Continuity of Care for Individuals Transitioning from Medicaid to Marketplace: Post-PHE Considerations for States

Many of those losing their Medicaid eligibility after the COVID-19 public health emergency will have illnesses or conditions requiring uninterrupted access to health care services. In their latest Expert Perspective for the State Health & Value Strategies project, Sabrina Corlette and Jason Levitis outline several policy and operational changes states can make to ensure that people transitioning from Medicaid to the Marketplace can maintain continuity of care.

April Research Roundup: What We’re Reading

April brought us a shower of health policy research, including studies on the implications of the American Rescue Plan Act’s (ARP) enhanced premium tax credits (PTCs) expiring for marketplace beneficiaries, how value-based payment models have fared in the commercial health insurance market, and trends in prices that private health plans pay for hospital care across the United States. We took some time away from checking out the cherry blossoms to dig in.

Mitigating Coverage Loss When the Public Health Emergency Ends: The Role of the Affordable Care Act Marketplaces

As many as 16 million people are expected to lose Medicaid once the COVID-19 public health emergency ends. One-third of these could be eligible for ACA marketplace plans. In their latest To the Point blog for the Commonwealth Fund, Sabrina Corlette and Maanasa Kona discuss strategies that marketplaces can deploy to help reduce the potential coverage loss and help consumers make a smooth transition.

The End of the Public Health Emergency Will Prompt Massive Transitions in Health Insurance Coverage: How State Insurance Regulators Can Prepare

It will be “all hands on deck” for state officials once the public health emergency ends and up to 16 million people face the loss of their Medicaid coverage. As many of these individuals will be eligible for commercial health insurance (and up to one-third will be eligible for Marketplace subsidies), state insurance regulators will play an important role. In a new issue brief for State Health & Value Strategies, Sabrina Corlette provides a checklist to help departments of insurance navigate the impending massive shift in coverage.

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.