New Executive Order Outlines Next Steps For Health Care Price Transparency
In February, the Trump administration issued an executive order outlining steps for federal agencies...
Posts tagged with: federally facilitated marketplace
Blog Posts:
July Research Roundup: What We’re Reading
Last month CHIR stayed cool indoors to catch up on the latest in health policy research. In July, we...
State And Federal Efforts To Improve Ownership Transparency
While there is some movement toward improved health care provider ownership transparency at the fede...
New Georgetown CHIR Report on the Federal and State Tools for Responding to Provider Consolidation and Recommendations for Strengthening Them
Over the past 30 years, hospitals and physician practices have been merging at an accelerated pace, ...
Improving Health Care Competition: Federal and State Perspectives
On Tuesday, May 21st, Georgetown University's Center on Health Insurance Reforms held the final of t...
What’s New for 2024 Marketplace Enrollment?
The annual open enrollment period for Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace coverage kicks off Novem...
September Research Roundup: What We’re Reading
As we fall into autumn weather, CHIR continues to keep up with the latest health policy research. In...
July Research Roundup: What We’re Reading
CHIR’s summer reading list includes the latest health policy literature. In July, we read about th...
March Research Roundup: What We’re Reading
Along with the cherry blossoms, new health policy research was in full bloom this month. In addition...
Fixing the Family Glitch and Other Priorities: The Next Wave of Federal Administrative Action to Enhance the Affordable Care Act
The federal government has taken a series of actions to strengthen the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and...
Three New State-Based Marketplaces are Up and Running
We’re a week into Affordable Care Act marketplace open enrollment, and it looks like the three new...
March Research Roundup: What We’re Reading
The CHIR team is excited to transition into spring, as with the warmer weather has come some great n...
Navigator Guide FAQs Of The Week: Who is Eligible for Financial Assistance?
President Biden has recently signed an executive order to re-open the federal marketplace for a COVI...
Stakeholder Perspectives on CMS’s 2022 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters. Part 3: Consumer Advocates
In the third and final part of our blog series reviewing stakeholder comments on the 2022 Notice of ...
Navigator Guide FAQs of the Week: What to Expect When Expecting Health Insurance
Open Enrollment has ended in most states, and many consumers have signed up for a health insurance...
COVID-19 Response: States That Run Their Own ACA Marketplace Are Better Positioned to Help Consumers Get Covered
During the current public health and financial crises brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, the ACA’s ...
New Georgetown CHIR Report: In Trump Era, States Revisit the Benefits and Risks of Running Their Own Health Care Marketplace
Half a dozen states have announced they will transition from HealthCare.gov to their own, state-run ...
ACA Marketplace Open Enrollment Numbers Reveal the Impact of State-Level Policy and Operational Choices on Performance
During the last open enrollment period, the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces faced a number of h...
Stakeholders React to HHS’s Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2020. Part 3: Consumer Advocates
On April 18, 2019, the Department of Health and Human Services finalized changes to the Affordable C...
The Proposed 2020 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters: Summary and Implications for States
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has released a new set of rules and standards for the...
Affordable Care Act Navigators: Lack of Funding Leads to Consumer Confusion, Decreased Enrollment
Last year, we talked with Navigators to learn about how they reached consumers despite major funding...
How Is the Partial Government Shutdown Affecting the Affordable Care Act Marketplaces?
We are now in the midst of the longest-ever shutdown of U.S. government agencies, resulting in close...
What Does the Change in House Leadership Mean for Private Health Insurance? CHIR Experts Make Some Predictions
The 2018 midterm election results mean the U.S. House of Representatives will be under new leadershi...
Trump Administration Hands States Another Tool for Dismantling Preexisting Condition Protections
Last week, the Trump administration issued long-anticipated guidance regarding the ACA's Section 133...
States Lean In as the Federal Government Cuts Back: Navigator and Advertising Funding for the ACA’s Sixth Open Enrollment
With open enrollment into the Affordable Care Act marketplaces beginning November 1st, there will be...
What’s New for 2019 Marketplace Enrollment? Get Ready for Updated, Improved Navigator Resource Guide
On November 1, the sixth open enrollment period begins for marketplace coverage under the Affordable...
Bracing for an Affordable Care Act Enrollment Season Without Navigators: Risks for Consumers and the Market
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced on July 10, 2018 that they would fund up to...
June Research Round Up: What We’re Reading
State officials, insurers, and consumer advocates and assisters are gearing up for a hectic 2019 enr...
May Research Round Up: What We’re Reading
In this month’s research round up, CHIR's Olivia Hoppe looks into analyses of the success of recen...
April Research Round Up: What We’re Reading
In CHIRblog’s April installment of What We’re Reading, CHIR's Olivia Hoppe digs into reports th...
Affordable Care Act Navigators: Unexpected Success During 2018 Enrollment Season Shouldn’t Obscure Challenges Ahead
Heading into open enrollment for 2018 marketplace coverage, experts predicted far fewer people would...
Marketplace Plan Discontinued? Options after Open Enrollment
Blink and you may have missed it - open enrollment for HealthCare.gov was much shorter this year and...
States Face Key Decisions if Alexander-Murray Proposal Is Included in Year-End Budget Bill
The Alexander-Murray bill to fund the Affordable Care Act's cost-sharing subsidies could be included...
The Future of the Affordable Care Act under President Trump: Stakeholders Respond to Proposed 2019 Marketplace Rule. Part I: Insurers
The Trump Administration has proposed a number of changes to the Affordable Care Act's essential hea...
State Options Blog Series: Streamlined, Direct Marketplace Enrollment Has Risks, Benefits, but Much Depends on State Oversight
In the fourth of a multi-part blog series on state options in the wake of federal actions to roll ba...
Proposed 2019 Affordable Care Act Payment Rule: A Big Role for States
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services published an annual set of proposed rules for the Aff...
I’m A Certified Application Counselor. This Year’s Open Enrollment Will Be the Most Challenging Yet
Enrolling in marketplace health insurance is already a tall order for many consumers because of the ...
Got Questions on Private Health Insurance? Get the New and Improved Navigator Resource Guide
Marketplace enrollment is upon us. November 1 marks the start to the fifth open enrollment season. T...
In the Aftermath of a Natural Disaster and Have Questions about your Health Insurance Coverage? CHIR Experts Answer Some Frequently Asked Questions
In the wake of devastating natural disasters, consumers living in hurricane or wildfire affected ar...
The Next Round of Obamacare Regulations are Coming Soon: What Consumer Advocates Want to See
With the annual rule on marketplace operations and health plans expected this fall, we take a look a...
State Options Blog Series: Federal Regulators Relax ACA Health Plan Oversight, Creating Opportunities and Challenges for States
In the second of a multi-part blog series on state options in the wake of federal actions to roll ba...
Healthcare.gov Rolls out Two Operational Changes Related to Verifying Special Enrollment Periods and Immigration Status
While Congress shifts away from talking about how to replace the Affordable Care Act to stabilizing ...
Relaxing the ACA’s Regulations: Stakeholders Respond to HHS’ Request for Information, Part 2 – State Departments of Insurance
In Part 2 of this three-part series, we look at how state departments of insurance responded to the ...
New Special Enrollment Roadblocks for Consumers: Hindering, not Helping Consumers Get Coverage
While Congressional leaders debate how to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, the Trump admi...
Lots of Changes for 2018 Marketplace Enrollment Mean Confusion for Consumers
Open enrollment will be here sooner than we know it. But this year's open enrollment, will be quite ...
Relaxing the Affordable Care Act’s Guaranteed Issue Protection: Issues for Consumers and State Options
As we've been blogging about, the Trump administration finalized a Market Stabilization rule that ma...
Running Down the Clock: Policy Uncertainty over Affordable Care Act Means Less Time for Oversight of Premium Hikes
Insurers are required to submit their health plans and premium rates for regulatory review in the fa...
Proposed Pre-Verification Process for Special Enrollment Periods: Policy Goals, Potential Impact, and the need for State Flexibility
In the wake of failed congressional attempts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, we turn ...
Stakeholders React to HHS’ Proposed Market Stabilization Regulations: Part 1 – Insurers
In February, the Department of Health & Human Services released proposed rules affecting the ACA's h...
Consumer Shopping on Healthcare.gov During Open Enrollment 4
Choosing a health plan is like putting a puzzle together, you need help putting all the pieces toget...
Simple Choice Plans Debut on Healthcare.Gov
Simple Choice plans, standardized benefit designs with fixed cost-sharing amounts and pre-deductible...
Reaching the Uninsured: Outreach Strategy for Open Enrollment 4
Healthcare.gov will be taking lessons learned from the past three open enrollments, as well as its o...
What to Expect When You’re Enrolling: A Preview of Open Enrollment Season 4
Since the beginning of open enrollment season three years ago, the administration has continually ma...
The Ever-Shrinking Pilot to Inform Consumers About Health Plans’ Network Size
The agency running the federal health insurance marketplace announced on September 30 they would pro...
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes: Special Enrollment Periods Provide Essential Coverage During Common Life Transitions, but Many People Don’t Know They Exist
Change in life is unavoidable: people move, get married, change jobs and have babies. Special enroll...
CHIR Expert Sabrina Corlette Talks Marketplace Problems, Possible Solutions at Alliance for Health Reform Briefing
On Monday, September 26th, CHIR’s very own Sabrina Corlette spoke at a briefing on the future of A...
Quality Over Quantity? New Medicaid Network Adequacy Rules Illuminate Disparities Among Insurance Program Standards
Narrow network plans, or plans with a limited network of providers, present problems for consumers a...
Want to Know Whether Your Health Plan’s Network is Narrow or Broad? You’ll Need to Wait Another Year
The Obama Administration has delayed a promised rollout of a new network size rating system on healt...
The Proposed Update to the Premium Tax Credit Safe Harbor: A Solution in Search of a Problem?
In the waning days of the Obama Administration, Affordable Care Act regulations continue to trickle ...
Wisconsin’s Objection to Automatic Re-enrollment of Enrollees in Federally Facilitated Marketplaces
The administration recently issued a proposal to smooth renewals for consumers affected by insurance...
When Policy Isn’t Put Into Practice: State-Based Marketplaces Fail to Meet Goals of Standardizing Benefit Designs
As the federal insurance marketplace moves forward to standardize health plan benefit designs, what ...
Recent State Action: Are Formerly Vocal ACA Opponents Climbing on Board the Obamacare Bus?
As ACA opponents continue to vilify, challenge and undermine the law, four states that have been voc...
Obama Administration Announces New Strategies to Enroll Young Adults in Health Insurance, but Misses One Important Fix
The Obama Administration has announced several new strategies to boost enrollment among young adults...
Open Enrollment IV (OE4) is Just around the Corner: Things to Watch
While it seems like we just finished open enrollment, the next round for 2017 coverage is right arou...
Understanding ACA’s Coverage Gains: Welcome Mat Effect & State Marketplaces Keys to Success
How can we best understand the coverage gains under the Affordable Care Act? Researchers from Harvar...
New Rules on Special Enrollment Periods: What Do They Mean for Consumers and the Assisters Who Help Them?
What triggers a special enrollment period to allow someone to enroll on the individual market outsid...
New Georgetown Report: Understanding the Consumer Enrollment Experience in the Affordable Care Act Marketplaces
A new report released by Georgetown CHIR researchers used call center data from the Assister Help Re...
Obama Administration Delays Implementation of Star Ratings, Transparency Requirements for Marketplace Health Plans
On April 29, the Obama Administration signaled a phased-in approach to implementing the quality rati...
HHS Study Shows Benefits of Shopping and Subsidies, but Costs Still a Concern
With health insurers' rate filings looming on the horizon, many are concerned we'll see proposed pre...
Final Rules Make Expanded Role Official for Some Navigators in 2018
When the administration finalized Marketplace regulations for 2017 and beyond earlier this week, it ...
A Roadmap For Getting Enrollment Right for Immigrant Families
The Affordable Care Act brought the promise of affordable coverage to many lawfully present immigran...
Healthcare.gov Changing Approach to Special Enrollment Periods, May be Bumpy Road for Consumers
The administration recently announced that it will require verifying documents from consumers with a...
Obama Administration Creates a New Special Enrollment Period
This is the first year that the marketplace is denying financial assistance to individuals who faile...
Tax-related Information for Marketplace Consumers
While Old Man Winter barrels down on us with cold and snow, what better time to get your documents t...
First Compliance Review Focused on Policies and Procedures, but a Better Approach Exists to Assess Health Plan Compliance
The administration recently published the results of its compliance review of health plans participa...
Little Known Provision Keeps Kids From Slipping Through Cracks Due to Differences in Eligibility Rules
For the most part, the ACA tries to align the ways that Medicaid and the health insurance marketplac...
2016 Insurer Participation Remains Stable in State-Based Marketplaces
In the wake of the high-profile closures and departures of some health plans from the individual mar...
Deadline for January 1, 2016 Coverage Approaching: What to Do
The deadline for having health insurance starting on January 1, 2016 is quickly approaching. Consume...
Feds Propose Changes – and an Expanded Role – for Marketplace Navigators
A new proposed rule from the Obama Administration contains wide-ranging new requirements for insuran...
Updated Navigator Resource Guide
CHIR is pleased to release an updated online Navigator Guide on Private Health Insurance and Health ...
New Resource on Enrollment Now Available
As we draw nearer to the start of Open Enrollment 3, a new resource is available from the Centers fo...
Why ACA Marketplaces Should Report Comprehensive Enrollment Data
The Affordable Care Act's new health insurance marketplaces could be critical sources of data about ...
More than 400,000 Lose Marketplace Coverage: Let’s Fix This and Keep People Covered
This week federal officials released an updated marketplace enrollment report. While close to 10 mil...
Consumer Assistance and Tools Needed to Ensure that All Eligible Marketplace Enrollees Get Cost-Sharing Reductions
A recent study has found that as many as 2.2 million people are missing out on Affordable Care Act c...
Feds Take a Baby Step Forward on ACA’s Sunshine Rules
The Obama Administration has taken a step forward to implement long-delayed transparency provisions ...
Getting Ready for OE3 – New Kaiser Family Foundation Survey Provides Helpful Lessons
We’re just 12 weeks away from the start of the third open enrollment period (OE3) for the Affordab...
Highlights on the FFM Approach for 2016 Open Enrollment
Hard to believe, but open enrollment for 2016 coverage is just four months away. As we get closer to...
King v Burwell: An Exercise in Sound and Fury Signifying Nothing
In the wake of the Supreme Court's decision in King v. Burwell, our colleague at Georgetown Universi...
State-Based Marketplaces Look for Financing Stability in Shifting Landscape
State-based marketplaces created under the Affordable Care Act are contemplating their financial sus...
3-Year Navigator Grants Will Provide Stability to Enrollment Assistance
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has published the first indications of where it inten...
Some Changes in Store for 2016 Health Plans that Affect Consumers
While open enrollment for 2015 has ended, insurers and marketplaces alike are gearing up for 2016 wi...
Critiquing the Performance as the Curtain Closes on OE2
The second open enrollment period (often called OE2) under the Affordable Care Act has come to its f...
The Affordable Care Act’s Requirements for Quality Improvement in the Health Insurance Marketplaces: What Recent Federal Action Tells Us
The Affordable Care Act sets out several requirements for the health insurance marketplaces to encou...
Marketplace Coverage Renewals: Variation in State Approaches May Affect Consumers’ Finances
Auto-renewal through the health insurance marketplaces is an important mechanism for consumers to av...
Renewing Coverage under the ACA: Challenges and Opportunities for Federally Facilitated and State-based Marketplaces
December 15th marks the last day by which health insurance marketplace enrollees can actively renew ...
New Guidance on Re-enrollment in the Federally Facilitated Marketplace
On December 1, CMS published new guidance on the re-enrollment process for the federally facilitated...
New Content for the Navigator Resource Guide: Get Ready for Renewals
Last month CHIR released its Navigator Resource Guide, with background and close to 300 frequently a...
Consumers Should Resist the Urge to Do Nothing and Renew Coverage through the Federal Marketplace
Saturday, November 15th marks the start of open enrollment in the ACA's health insurance marketplace...
State Marketplace Approaches to Financing and Sustainability
While the Affordable Care Act provided significant start-up funds for the development of the new hea...
Raising the Curtain on Open Enrollment, Round Two
The second open enrollment period for the health insurance marketplaces, or OE2, is mere days away. ...
New “Halbig Provision” in Health Plan Agreements Poses Little Threat to Consumers
Insurers that sell coverage through the ACA’s federally facilitated marketplaces must sign a priva...
Major Policy Changes Take a Backseat to IT During a Transitional Year for Health Insurance Marketplaces
As the health insurance marketplaces prepare for the second year of operation under the Affordable C...
Question on Stand-alone Dental Plans and Upcoming Open Enrollment
With the change in weather, we're beginning to field questions related to the upcoming 2015 Open Enr...
All Enrollees Should Contact the Marketplace at Renewal
We're about 110 days away from open enrollment into coverage for 2015. In recent guidance, CMS has r...
Grace Periods for Failing to Pay Insurance Premiums: What Consumers Need to Know
On July 16 the Obama Administration published guidance for insurers in the federally facilitated mar...
ACA Days of Summer
It's getting to be a summer tradition: a new set of court decisions on the Affordable Care Act. This...
Enrolled in a Plan that Doesn’t Cover Your Prescription Drug: What Consumers Need to Know
One of the key consumer protections in the Affordable Care Act is the requirement that plans must ha...
State Restrictions on Health Reform Assisters May Violate Federal Law
Regulations issued last month by the Department of Health and Human Services show that laws in more ...
New Healthcare.Gov Screener Tool Needs Fixes to Avoid Confusing Consumers
Now that open enrollment into the new health insurance marketplaces is over, the only way people can...
Florida Complaint Should be Welcomed by Regulators and Advocates
A recent complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Ri...
New State-Based Marketplaces Unlikely in 2015, but Technology Challenges Create More Shades of Gray
It's decision time for states considering whether to transition to a state-based, partnership, feder...
Help for Consumers Who Faced Marketplace Glitches
The Obama administration recently announced that the health insurance Marketplaces can offer consume...
Last Call for State-Based Health Insurance Marketplaces
There are reports that at least some formerly reluctant states are thinking of moving from a federal...
Federal Court Ruling Casts Doubt on State Power to Restrict Health Reform Navigators
In January, a federal court in Missouri became the first to rule on whether states have the legal au...
Halbig v. Sebelius and State Motivations to Opt for Federally Run Exchanges
A number of states recently filed amicus briefs in a court battle over whether federally facilitated...
Want to Change Your New Marketplace Plan? Some New healthcare.gov Improvements Might Help
New improvements to healthcare.gov are making it easier for consumers to report life changes, correc...
Helping People Select Insurance Coverage: A Tale of Two Programs
Shopping for and selecting a new health coverage plan can be challenging for many consumers. One gov...
Enrollment is Going Up and Costs are Going Down: Some Recent Good News for the Health Insurance Exchanges
The Thanksgiving weekend brought news for health care consumers to be thankful for. Healthcare.gov s...
State Decisions on the Health Insurance Policy Cancellations Fix
Implementation of the President's proposed fix for health insurance policy cancellations rests with ...
Health Affairs Podcast Delivers Lively Debate over ACA Implementation and the Prognosis for Reform
The latest Health Affairs podcast features CHIR's Sabrina Corlette and Bob Laszewski of Health Polic...
Helping Consumers Understand their Coverage Options, from Coast to Coast
A massive consumer outreach and education effort is underway to help consumers understand their new ...
Under Pressure: An Update on Restrictive State Insurance Marketplace Consumer Assistance Laws
Seventeen states have enacted rules for health insurance marketplace navigators that could hinder th...
House Ways and Means Congressional Hearing on ACA’s Website Woes Tackles Broader Policy Questions
The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means held an oversight hearing during which...
It Wasn’t Me – HHS IT Contractors Shift Blame at Energy and Commerce Committee Hearing
The U.S. House of Representatives began the first in what is likely to be a series of oversight hear...
Don’t Be Fooled – ACA Coverage is a Better Deal for Just About Everyone
Some are questioning the adequacy of health insurance on the new marketplaces. But such concerns neg...
Clear the Path to the Federal Marketplace
Indiana, a state with a federally facilitated health insurance marketplace, is also home to health c...
Updates on Consumer Assistance: Navigator Grants and Training
Last week was a busy week for those focused on robust consumer assistance in the new health insuranc...
New Report on ACA Implications for State Network Adequacy Standards
The Affordable Care Act promises consumers a more comprehensive set of health insurance benefits, bu...
Will New Laws in States with Federally Run Health Insurance Marketplaces Hinder Outreach?
Although the federal government will play a primary role in administering the navigator program in t...