short-term limited duration insurance

States Leaning In: Washington Doubles Down on Efforts to Shore up Market, Protect Consumers

Posted June 24, 2019 by Rachel Schwab

In the wake of federal actions to roll back the Affordable Care Act’s reforms, states have assumed an even greater role in protecting consumers and ensuring market stability. Washington State, a long-time leader in state health insurance reform, has taken up that mantle. Since our last post highlighting Washington’s policy playbook, the state has implemented several more policies to preserve their insurance market and bolster consumer protections. CHIR’s Rachel Schwab takes a look at some of the state’s new developments.

Coming up Short: The Problem with Counting Short-Term, Limited Duration Insurance as Coverage

Posted June 7, 2019 by Rachel Schwab

In April, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released an analysis of federal legislation to reverse the Trump administration’s rule expanding access to short-term, limited duration insurance policies, which do not have to comply with the Affordable Care Act’s consumer protections. CBO estimated that reversing the rule would result in 500,000 people going uninsured, predicated on the assumption that most short-term plans count as “insurance.” For people with preexisting conditions, nothing could be further from the truth.

States Step Up to Protect Insurance Markets and Consumers from Short-Term Health Plans

Posted May 21, 2019 by CHIR Faculty

Short-term plans are now being sold to consumers as a replacement for Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage. However, because these plans are exempt from many consumer protections and ACA rules, a number of states have stepped up to regulate the design and marketing of these plans. In their latest issue brief for The Commonwealth Fund, CHIR experts document recent state action to regulate short-term plans and protect their residents and markets.

March Research Round Up: What We’re Reading

Posted April 12, 2019 by Olivia Hoppe

Spring has arrived, and the research is blooming! This March, CHIR’s Olivia Hoppe was buzzing around studies on direct enrollment, balance billing from air ambulance rides, affordability for middle-income consumers, and the roles of assisters and support tools.

New Study: Consumers Don’t Understand That Short-term Plans Lack Protections, Benefits

Posted April 8, 2019 by CHIR Faculty

A study commissioned by consumer representatives to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) finds that consumers face significant challenges understanding the limitations of short-term health plans. These plans, championed by the Trump administration as a cheap alternative to ACA coverage, can leave consumers facing significant out-of-pocket costs if they have an unexpected medical event.

Affordable Care Act Back in the Spotlight: Build on its Progress or Scrap it Entirely?

Posted March 28, 2019 by Sabrina Corlette

It is hard to find a starker example of the different approaches our two political parties take to health care than the events of March 26, 2019. CHIR’s Sabrina Corlette breaks down the Trump administration’s push to have the Affordable Care Act declared unconstitutional and a comprehensive bill to expand coverage and improve affordability, introduced just hours later by leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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.

House Hearings Shed Light on a Key Policy Priority: Protecting People with Pre-Existing Conditions

Posted February 19, 2019 by Rachel Schwab

After becoming a rallying cry in the midterm elections, pre-existing condition protections have taken center stage on Capitol Hill: in January and February, the House of Representatives held three hearings about protecting people with pre-existing conditions, before the Ways & Means Committee, the Education & Labor Committee, and the Energy & Commerce Subcommittee. As the ACA faces legal challenges in federal court, these proceedings set the scene for how this policy debate will play out in Congress and offer insight into potential legislative action.

Stakeholders Respond to the Proposed Health Reimbursement Arrangement Rule. Part I: State Insurance Departments and Marketplaces

Posted February 15, 2019 by Rachel Schwab

In October 2018, the Trump administration proposed rules to expand the use of health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) by loosening current federal limitations. The administration’s proposal would allow employers to offer employees the tax-advantaged accounts to assist with health care expenses, including premiums, in lieu of employer-sponsored coverage. To understand the potential impact of the proposals, CHIR reviewed comments from various stakeholder groups. For the first blog in our series, Rachel Schwab summarizes comments from state marketplaces and state insurance departments.

The Marketing of Short-Term Health Plans: Industry Practices Create Consumer Confusion

Posted January 31, 2019 by CHIR Faculty

A 2018 federal rule changing the definition of short-term limited-duration insurance (STLDI) has created a new marketing opportunity for insurance companies and brokers. In a new study, CHIR experts assess short-term plan insurers’ marketing tactics in the wake of the new federal rules and how regulators have prepared for this new market.