short-term policy

Seeing Fraud and Misleading Marketing, States Warn Consumers About Alternative Health Insurance Products

Posted November 4, 2019 by CHIR Faculty

States are warning consumers of fraud and about the inadequate nature of some insurance products being sold that masquerade as health coverage. Over the last year, we identified alerts or press releases issued by 15 states warning consumers to be on their guard against deceptive marketing pitches for these products. In their latest post for the Commonwealth Fund’s To The Point blog, CHIR experts spoke with regulators in five of these states to better understand what was behind these warnings and get insight into potential pitfalls for consumers.

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.

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.

State Insurance Department Consumer Alerts on Short-Term Plans Come Up Short

Posted December 17, 2018 by CHIR Faculty

Open Enrollment for 2019 has ended in most states, but consumers are sure to be bombarded with sales pitches for alternative insurance products well beyond the December 15th deadline. Short-term plans are often marketed as lower-priced substitutes for ACA-compliant coverage, even though they cover far less. Since the Trump administration lowered federal guardrails on short-term plans, it has become particularly important for state insurance departments to highlight the limitations of these products. CHIR looked at insurance department websites to see what information was available for consumers regarding short-term plans.

Bracing for an Affordable Care Act Enrollment Season Without Navigators: Risks for Consumers and the Market

Posted July 24, 2018 by Olivia Hoppe

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced on July 10, 2018 that they would fund up to $10 million for Navigator programs in the 34 federally facilitated marketplace states in 2018, an over 80 percent cut from the program’s original funding. CMS is also encouraging applicants to educate consumers about plans that don’t meet Affordable Care Act standards. CHIR’s Olivia Hoppe explains the effects these changes could have on consumers and the market.

To Understand How Consumers Are Faring in the Individual Health Insurance Markets, Watch the States

Posted July 20, 2018 by Justin Giovannelli

Through both inaction and design, federal policymakers have put the onus on states to ensure access to affordable, adequate health insurance. In a new work for The Commonwealth Fund, CHIR researchers are launching an interactive map that will track and describe state actions likely to affect residents’ access to individual market coverage.

Stakeholder Views on the Proposed Short-Term Plan Insurance Rule: Key Takeaways from Our Review of Comment Letters

Posted June 18, 2018 by Rachel Schwab

In February, the Trump administration published a proposed rule to expand the availability of short-term, limited duration insurance by relaxing federal restrictions put in place by the Obama administration. Federal agencies received over 9,000 comments in response. In a four-part blog series, CHIR dug into comments to evaluate the proposed rule’s potential impact on consumers, major medical insurers, states, and sellers of short-term plans. Here’s what we found.

Stakeholders Respond to the Proposed Short-term, Limited Duration Insurance Rule. Part IV: Short-Term Insurers and Brokers

Posted June 11, 2018 by Olivia Hoppe

The Departments of Labor, Health & Human Services, and Treasury received over 9,000 comments on their proposed rule to expand the availability of short-term, limited duration insurance. To better understand the public reaction to the proposal, CHIR reviewed comments submitted by health care stakeholders. In the fourth blog in our series, CHIR’s Olivia Hoppe summarizes feedback from brokers and short-term insurers.

Stakeholders Respond to the Proposed Short-term, Limited Duration Insurance Rule. Part III: State Insurance Departments and Marketplaces

Posted June 5, 2018 by Sabrina Corlette

The Departments of Labor, Health & Human Services, and Treasury received over 9,000 comments on their proposed rule to expand the availability of short-term, limited duration insurance. CHIR reviewed comments submitted by stakeholders to better understand how the public is responding to the proposal. In part three of our four-part series, CHIR’s Sabrina Corlette summarizes feedback from state insurance departments and marketplaces.

Stakeholders Respond to the Proposed Short-Term, Limited-Duration Insurance Rule. Part II: Major Medical Insurers

Posted May 31, 2018 by Emily Curran

The Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury received over 9,000 comments on their proposed rule, which aims to expand the availability of short-term, limited duration insurance. CHIR reviewed comments submitted by health care stakeholders to better understand industry reactions to the proposal. In part two of this four-part series, CHIR’s Emily Curran analyzes comments from nine major medical insurers and associations.