Posts tagged with: COVID-19

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

2023-05-04 by Emma WalshAlker

After more than three years, the federal COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) is set to expire on ...

Uncategorized

COVID-19, Implementing the Affordable Care Act, preventive services, public health emergency, substance use disorder, telehealth

COVID “Long Haulers” Still Struggle with Coverage and Care

2023-02-24 by CHIR Faculty

The COVID-19 public health emergency expires this spring, bringing an end to pandemic-related fundin...

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appeals, CHIR, claims denials, COVID-19, Implementing the Affordable Care Act

The Expiration of the Public Health Emergency Also Ends Policies to Lower Health Access Barriers

2022-04-07 by CHIR Faculty

As we approach the end of the public health emergency, Medicaid will not be the only program affecte...

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COVID-19, Implementing the Affordable Care Act, public health emergency

March Research Roundup: What We’re Reading

2022-04-06 by Emma WalshAlker

Along with the cherry blossoms, new health policy research was in full bloom this month. In addition...

Uncategorized

ACA, American Rescue Plan, COVID-19, federally facilitated marketplace, Implementing the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid coverage gap, Medicaid expansion, plan, quality rating system, Women's health

Where the Bread is Really Buttered: Insurers’ Q4 Earnings Reports Show Heavy Reliance on Government Business

2022-03-07 by Megan Houston

Health insurers reported healthy earnings during the fourth quarter of 2021, thanks in large part to...

Uncategorized

COVID-19, Implementing the Affordable Care Act, Insurer Profits

Insurers are Now Covering At-Home COVID Tests but Implementation Varies

2022-02-07 by CHIR Faculty

Private health plans are now required to cover at-home over-the-counter COVID-19 tests. CHIR's Megan...

Uncategorized

COVID-19, COVID-19 testing, Implementing the Affordable Care Act

New Requirements to Cover Over-the-counter COVID Tests: Implications for State Insurance Regulators

2022-01-19 by CHIR Faculty

New federal rules require health insurers to cover and waive consumer cost-sharing for over-the-coun...

Uncategorized

COVID-19, health reform

The 6-foot Rope for the 10-foot Hole: The Current U.S. Approach to COVID-19 Testing Won’t Help Us Out of this Pandemic

2021-12-10 by CHIR Faculty

The Biden administration has announced a new policy to require health plans to pay for at-home COVID...

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COVID-19, COVID-19 testing, health reform

The State of COVID-19 Testing Coverage and Accessibility

2021-11-22 by Megan Houston

Insurers are still required to fully cover COVID-19 testing, but finding a free test is a lot more d...

Uncategorized

COVID-19, COVID-19 testing, Implementing the Affordable Care Act

October Research Roundup: What We’re Reading

2021-11-04 by CHIR Faculty

In our newest monthly roundup of health policy research, CHIR intern Madison Berry reviews studies e...

Uncategorized

American Rescue Plan, CHIR, churning, COVID-19, health care costs, Implementing the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid gap, rate review, uninsured

COVID “Long Haulers” Can Carry Additional Burden of Getting Insurers to Cover Care

2021-10-18 by CHIR Faculty

COVID-19 survivors may experience new symptoms well after their initial infection. Health systems of...

Uncategorized

appeals, CHIR, COVID-19, employers, Implementing the Affordable Care Act, medical management

August Research Roundup: What We’re Reading

2021-09-16 by CHIR Faculty

For the latest monthly roundup of health policy research, CHIR's Rachel Swindle takes a look at stud...

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American Rescue Plan, CHIR, COVID-19, employer coverage, health insurance marketplaces, Implementing the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid expansion, uninsured rate

Delta Airlines to Require Unvaccinated Employees to Pay Higher Premiums: Legal? Maybe. Smart policy? Not So Much.

2021-08-30 by CHIR Faculty

Delta Airlines made headlines by announcing it would charge unvaccinated workers an additional $200 ...

Uncategorized

COVID-19, health reform, HIPAA, workplace wellness programs

Second Quarter Earnings Bring Profits for Insurers, But Delta Variant Signals Uncertainty

2021-08-26 by Megan Houston

In the second quarter of 2020 insurers made significant profits in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic...

Uncategorized

COVID-19, Implementing the Affordable Care Act, Insurer Profits

“As if COVID-19 Did Not Exist”: Health Plans Prepare for 2022 in Early Rate Filings

2021-07-06 by CHIR Faculty

Several states ask for – and publicly post – health insurers’ proposed 2022 premium rates in M...

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COVID-19, health reform, Implementing the Affordable Care Act, rate filings, rate review

Figuring out if COBRA Coverage is Right for You

2021-05-17 by Maanasa Kona

By the end of May, employers must notify eligible employees and former employees about the COBRA sub...

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American Rescue Plan, CHIR, COBRA, COVID-19, employer coverage, employer plans, employer sponsored insurance, employer-sponsored health insurance, job loss, premium subsidies, premiums

Minority Health Month: National Latino Week of Action

2021-04-21 by Nia Gooding

April is Minority Health Month, a good time to consider ways to reduce the wide disparities in healt...

Uncategorized

aca implementation, affordable care act, American Rescue Plan, CHIR, COVID-19, health insurance, health insurance marketplace, healthcare.gov, uninsured rate

Are the Good Times Over for Health Insurers?

2021-03-08 by Megan Houston

Insurer's fourth quarter earnings showed a decline in profits after the surge in COVID-19 hospitaliz...

Uncategorized

COVID-19, Implementing the Affordable Care Act, Insurer Profits

Navigator Guide FAQs Of The Week: Who is Eligible for Financial Assistance?

2021-02-24 by Nia Gooding

President Biden has recently signed an executive order to re-open the federal marketplace for a COVI...

Uncategorized

cost sharing reductions, COVID-19, enrollment, federally facilitated marketplace, health insurance exchange, health insurance marketplace, Implementing the Affordable Care Act, new special enrollment period, open enrollment, premium tax credits, special enrollment period

January Research Roundup: What We’re Reading

2021-02-12 by Nia Gooding

As the snow continues to fall, the CHIR team has cozied up indoors with new health policy research. ...

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CHIR, consumers, COVID-19, health insurance, health insurance exchange, health insurance marketplace, Navigator Programs, navigators, new special enrollment period, open enrollment, uninsured rate

Health Insurance Companies Spent Millions to Defeat the Affordable Care Act. Now They’re Embracing Policies to Expand It.

2021-02-11 by Megan Houston

Health insurers spent millions to defeat the ACA in 2010. Ten years later, major insurers are joinin...

Uncategorized

ACA, affordable care act, APTCs, COBRA, COVID-19, Implementing the Affordable Care Act, open enrollment

Expanded Coverage For COVID-19 Testing Must Include Limits On Costs

2021-02-08 by CHIR Faculty

President Biden has issued an Executive Order likely to expand the mandate for private insurers to c...

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COVID-19, COVID-19 testing, health reform

December Research Roundup: What We’re Reading

2021-01-15 by Nia Gooding

We at CHIR are excited to ring in the New Year with new health insurance research! In December we re...

Uncategorized

COVID-19, employer sponsored insurance, Implementing the Affordable Care Act, network breadth, premium subsidies

Navigator Guide FAQs of the Week: Who Qualifies for a Special Enrollment Period?

2021-01-06 by Nia Gooding

Open Enrollment has ended  in most states, and many consumers have signed up for a health insurance...

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COVID-19, health insurance, Implementing the Affordable Care Act, new special enrollment period, special enrollment, special enrollment periods

2020 – It’s a Wrap. CHIR Takes Stock of a Tumultuous, but Busy Year

2020-12-21 by CHIR Faculty

We at Georgetown CHIR look back at this tumultuous, tragic, and eventful year and are thankful we ha...

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ACA, balance billing, CHIR, Commonwealth Fund, COVID-19, health insurance marketplace, health reform, robert wood johnson foundation, short-term limited duration insurance, state-based marketplace, surprise billing

As the Pandemic Rages on, Insurers Continue to Bring in Cash

2020-12-17 by Megan Houston

As the year comes to a close, CHIR's Megan Houston reflects on the continued financial success of he...

Uncategorized

COVID-19, health insurance premiums, Implementing the Affordable Care Act, Insurer Profits

The COVID-19 Vaccine is Coming, but Will it Be Paid For? Federal and State Policies to Fill Gaps in Insurance Coverage

2020-12-08 by CHIR Faculty

Vaccinations against COVID-19 are on their way. For consumers in Affordable Care Act plans, immuniza...

Uncategorized

COVID-19, Implementing the Affordable Care Act, preventive services, State of the States

Stable Rates Reflect Strength of ACA Marketplaces

2020-11-11 by CHIR Faculty

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many predicted that insurers would need to dramatically hike ...

Uncategorized

COVID-19, health reform, Implementing the Affordable Care Act, rate review

COVID-19 and MLR Guidance on Risk Corridor Recoveries: State Options for Restoring Funds to Policyholders and the Public

2020-11-05 by CHIR Faculty

The Supreme Court has required the federal government to reimburse health insurers for an estimated ...

Uncategorized

COVID-19, health reform, Implementing the Affordable Care Act, medical loss ratio, MLR, risk corridors

Ensuring Access to the COVID-19 Vaccine for Enrollees in Private Health Insurance: A Roadmap for States

2020-10-29 by CHIR Faculty

States and the federal government are preparing for the approval of a COVID-19 vaccine. But just as ...

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COVID-19, health reform, Implementing the Affordable Care Act, preventive services

Aggressive Medical Debt Collections: COVID-related Consumer Protections Could be a Model for Long-term Relief

2020-09-15 by Maanasa Kona

A new investigative report shows that even the COVID-19 crisis has not stopped many hospital systems...

Uncategorized

CHIR, collections practices, COVID-19, health care costs, Implementing the Affordable Care Act, medical debt, rising costs

Labor Day in a Pandemic: The Varnish of “Gold Standard” Employer Coverage is Wearing Thin

2020-09-09 by Rachel Schwab

CHIRblog took a break for Labor Day, but in light of the holiday, we continue to think about problem...

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CHIR, COVID-19, employer coverage, employer plans, employer sponsored insurance, Implementing the Affordable Care Act, underinsured

Asymptomatic COVID-19 Testing for Essential Workers: Considerations and Challenges for State Policymakers

2020-08-25 by CHIR Faculty

States are being forced to decide how to target, administer, and finance asymptomatic COVID-19 testi...

Uncategorized

COVID-19, State of the States

As Insurers Sit on Extra Cash, Are Premium Relief and MLR Rebates the Best Use of Funds?

2020-08-20 by CHIR Faculty

While the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted financial catastrophe across the country, the private healt...

Uncategorized

COVID-19, Implementing the Affordable Care Act, medical loss ratio, MLR

New Report Provides State Policy Recommendations on How to Protect Consumers, Reduce Disparities During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2020-08-14 by CHIR Faculty

The COVID-19 pandemic presents unprecedented threats to health and safety, and exacerbates existing ...

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CHIR, consumer protection, coronavirus, COVID-19, discrimination, health equity, Implementing the Affordable Care Act, NAIC, NAIC consumer representatives

July Research Round Up: What We’re Reading

2020-08-03 by CHIR Faculty

This month, CHIR's Mari Tikoyan read studies on the role of the Affordable Care Act in addressing he...

Uncategorized

ACA, CHIR, coronavirus, COVID-19, disparities, health equity, Implementing the Affordable Care Act

Imposing The Costs Of Workplace Coronavirus Testing On Group Plan Coverage Would Place An Excessive Burden On Essential Workers

2020-07-31 by CHIR Faculty

To re-open safely, many employers will need to rely on regular testing for the virus that causes COV...

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coronavirus, COVID-19, health reform, Implementing the Affordable Care Act

One Victim of the COVID-19 Pandemic? State Health Policy

2020-07-16 by Rachel Schwab

State legislative sessions are typically a flurry of health policy activity. In recent years, state ...

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budget, CHIR, coronavirus, COVID-19, Implementing the Affordable Care Act, legislators, lowering out-of-pocket costs, medicaid, state legislation, state policies

Update on Federal Mandates to Cover COVID-19 Testing Services: New Guidance for States, Plans, and Insurers

2020-07-02 by CHIR Faculty

The Trump administration recently issued guidance to health insurers, determining that they are not ...

Uncategorized

COVID-19, health reform

The COVID-19 Pandemic – Insurer Insights Into Challenges, Implications, and Lessons Learned

2020-06-30 by CHIR Faculty

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has placed enormous pressure on virtually all facets of U....

Uncategorized

CHIR, COVID-19, disparities, employer coverage, financial sustainability, insurers, provider contracts

Why We Can’t Rely on Health Insurance Alone to Guarantee Universal Immunization Against COVID-19

2020-06-23 by CHIR Faculty

Many Americans are pinning their hopes on a vaccine to bring COVID-19 to heel. But, as George Washin...

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COVID-19, health reform, preventive benefits

On the Whole, Health Insurers Aren’t – Yet – Fearing COVID-19 Costs: A Review of 2021 Rate Filings

2020-06-22 by CHIR Faculty

Several states ask for – and publicly post – health insurers’ proposed 2021 premium rates in M...

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COVID-19, health insurance marketplace, health reform, Implementing the Affordable Care Act, individual mandate

Should States’ COVID-19 Insurance Coverage Mandates Be Extended Past the Current State of Emergency?

2020-06-16 by CHIR Faculty

Many states acted to expand access to health care services as part of the fight against COVID-19, ma...

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coronavirus, COVID-19, State of the States

May Research Round Up: What We’re Reading

2020-06-15 by Olivia Hoppe

This May, we explored studies assessing COVID-19’s effect on community health centers, data on rac...

Uncategorized

CHC, CHCs, community health centers, coronavirus, COVID-19, disparities, Implementing the Affordable Care Act, utilization

Navigators Can Help Close Insurance Gaps Exacerbated by COVID-19

2020-06-10 by Olivia Hoppe

The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced new challenges for Navigators. To learn more about their experi...

Uncategorized

coronavirus, COVID-19, disparities, Implementing the Affordable Care Act, navigators, uninsured

During the COVID-19 Crisis, State Health Insurance Marketplaces Are Working to Enroll the Uninsured

2020-05-27 by CHIR Faculty

As the coronavirus pandemic and economic shutdown continue, the Affordable Care Act’s health insur...

Uncategorized

CHIR, coronavirus, COVID, COVID-19, SEP, special enrollment period, State of the States, state-based exchange, state-based marketplace, state-based marketplaces, uninsured

I’ve been calling for greater private insurance coverage of COVID-19 testing. I’ve been wrong

2020-05-22 by CHIR Faculty

As the nation combats the biggest threat to its public health and economy that any of us have seen i...

Uncategorized

COVID-19, health reform, Implementing the Affordable Care Act, Provider Relief Fund, serological tests

Idaho Misses Opportunities to Help Consumers Get Affordable, Comprehensive Health Coverage During COVID-19 Pandemic

2020-05-20 by Rachel Schwab

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, states have taken charge of responding to the public health emerg...

Uncategorized

affordable care act, CHIR, coronavirus, COVID, COVID-19, health insurance exchange, health insurance marketplace, idaho, Idaho state-based health plans, Implementing the Affordable Care Act, short term limited duration, state-based exchange, state-based marketplace, state-based marketplaces

The Provider Relief Fund: How Well Does it Protect Patients from Surprise Medical Bills for COVID-19 Related Services?

2020-05-15 by CHIR Faculty

The $175 billion Provider Relief Fund prohibits participating providers from balance billing COVID-1...

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balance billing, COVID-19, health reform, Implementing the Affordable Care Act, surprise billing

In the Age of COVID-19, Short-Term Plans Fall Short for Consumers

2020-05-13 by CHIR Faculty

During February’s State of the Union address, President Trump touted his administration’s effo...

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alternative coverage, balance billing, CHIR, COVID-19, pre-existing condition exclusions, short term limited duration, state regulators

April Research Round Up: What We’re Reading

2020-05-11 by Olivia Hoppe

This April, CHIR's Olivia Hoppe reviews studies focusing on the relationship between increased unemp...

Uncategorized

coronavirus, COVID-19, employer coverage, health care costs, Implementing the Affordable Care Act

States Can Prevent Surprise Bills for Patients Seeking Coronavirus Care

2020-05-01 by CHIR Faculty

In their latest post for the Commonwealth Fund’s To the Point blog, Jack Hoadley, Maanasa Kona, an...

Uncategorized

balance billing, COVID-19, State of the States

State Policy Options to Encourage Greater Use of Telehealth in State-Regulated Health Plans

2020-04-20 by CHIR Faculty

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought renewed and urgent interest in using telehealth to enable remote a...

Uncategorized

coronavirus, COVID-19, Implementing the Affordable Care Act, state health and value strategies, telemedicine

COVID-19 Response: States That Run Their Own ACA Marketplace Are Better Positioned to Help Consumers Get Covered

2020-04-13 by Rachel Schwab

During the current public health and financial crises brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, the ACA’s ...

Uncategorized

CHIR, consumer outreach, coronavirus, COVID-19, federally facilitated marketplace, Implementing the Affordable Care Act, marketing, Navigator Programs, special enrollment period, state-based exchange, state-based marketplace, state-based marketplaces

March Research Round Up: What We’re Reading

2020-04-13 by Olivia Hoppe

This month, CHIR's Olivia Hoppe reviews studies that examine the capacity for states to handle the C...

Uncategorized

affordable care act, coronavirus, COVID-19, Implementing the Affordable Care Act

Expanded Coverage for COVID-19 Testing is an Important Step, But Loopholes Expose All of Us to Greater Risk

2020-04-06 by CHIR Faculty

Congress has enacted legislation that includes provisions to lower financial barriers to COVID-19 te...

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coronavirus, COVID-19, health reform, Implementing the Affordable Care Act

Navigating Coverage During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Frequently Asked Questions

2020-03-27 by Olivia Hoppe

The novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, has been the cause of confusion and anxiety for indiv...

Uncategorized

coronavirus, COVID-19, Implementing the Affordable Care Act, income change, job loss, loss of minimum essential coverage, navigator resource guide, special enrollment period, uninsured

On its 10th Anniversary, during a Public Health Crisis, the Affordable Care Act is More Important Than Ever

2020-03-23 by CHIR Faculty

The past few weeks have tested the U.S. health care system. In a world where we are all at risk of c...

Uncategorized

ACA, affordable care act, annual limits, coronavirus, COVID-19, EHB, essential health benefits, Implementing the Affordable Care Act, lifetime limits, pre-existing conditions, premium subsidies, Texas v. US

What Are State Officials Doing to Make Private Health Insurance Work Better for Consumers During the Coronavirus Public Health Crisis?

2020-03-17 by CHIR Faculty

Many people may hesitate to seek coronavirus testing and treatment because they face significant ded...

Uncategorized

coronavirus, COVID-19, State of the States

Coronavirus Exposes Big Gaps in the U.S. System Of Coverage: What Can States Do to Help?

2020-03-06 by CHIR Faculty

The cost of medical care associated with the novel coronavirus can be a barrier for many people who ...

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CHIR, coronavirus, COVID-19, health reform