The Dismantling of Obamacare Starts August 25 – Unless Litigation Can Stop It
The first of numerous federal policies that reverse recent coverage gains under the the Affordable C...
Posts tagged with: health reform
Blog Posts:
Second Verse, Same as the First: Senate Reconciliation Language Failes to Fix Paperwork Burdens, Other Barriers to Marketplace Coverage
With the passage of H.R.1, the House of Representatives’ version of the budget reconciliation bill...
Indiana’s Extraordinary Legislative Session Exemplifies How Incremental Efforts Can Improve Health Care Affordability
While Indiana lawmakers have been working to reduce health care costs for commercial health insuranc...
May Research Roundup: What We’re Reading
In May, we welcomed spring blooms and warm weather, while staying engaged with the latest health pol...
Congress’ Proposed Paperwork Requirements Could Leave New Families, Laid-off Workers, and Self-Employed Without Health Coverage
The Senate will soon consider the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” that would make changes to Marketpla...
New Administration Plans to Reinstate Cuts to Funding for ACA Outreach and Enrollment Assistance
By Rachel Swindle, Jalisa Clark, and Justin Giovannelli One of the first actions by the Centers for ...
Can States Harness Market Power to Rein In Health Care Costs?
As U.S. health care spending continues to spiral higher, states are using a variety of tools to push...
A New Rule to Limit ACA Enrollment Periods May Deter Sign-Ups and Worsen Risk Pools
Recent proposals from the Trump administration and Congress would shorten or eliminate the windows o...
Third-Party Administrators – The Middlemen Of Self-Funded Health Insurance
Pharmacy benefit managers have received significant public attention for their exploitative, cost in...
Considerations for federal agencies tasked with improving health plan price transparency data
While the health plan price transparency data available under current guidance and enforcement have ...
Health Insurance Transitions For Young People With Diabetes Can Be Life Threatening
As Congress debates policies that would disenroll millions of people from both Medicaid and marketpl...
The Sleeper Provision in the Reconciliation Bill That Could Hobble the ACA Marketplaces
An obscure provision in the U.S. House reconciliation bill could have major consequences for the Aff...
Death by Slow Strangulation: New Tactics in Longstanding Efforts to Repeal the Affordable Care Act
The U.S. House of Representatives is poised to take up legislation that, if enacted, would be tantam...
Stakeholder Perspectives on CMS’ Proposed “Marketplace Integrity” Rule: Consumer and Patient Advocate Organizations
The Trump administration’s proposed “Marketplace Integrity” rule has generated almost 26,000 p...
Stakeholder Perspectives on CMS’ Proposed “Marketplace Integrity” Rule: State Insurance Departments and Marketplaces
The Trump administration’s proposed “Marketplace Integrity” rule has generated almost 26,000 p...
Stakeholder Perspectives on CMS’ Proposed “Marketplace Integrity” Rule: Health Care Providers
The Trump administration’s proposed “Marketplace Integrity” rule has generated almost 26,000 p...
Stakeholder Perspectives on CMS’ Proposed “Marketplace Integrity” Rule: Health Insurers and Brokers
The Trump administration's proposed "Marketplace Integrity" rule has generated almost 26,000 public ...
Dental Coverage Through the Marketplace: A 2024 Snapshot of Enrollment, Market Participation and Premiums
A new CHIR report offers a snapshot of the dental coverage landscape on the ACA Marketplaces in 2025...
Old Diseases, New Threats: Are You Still Protected – and What Will Your Health Plan Cover?
With infectious diseases such as measles on the rise, many Americans are wondering what they can do ...
March Research Roundup: What We’re Reading
In March, we anticipated sunshine and warmer days while keeping up with the latest health policy res...
In Latest Policy Change for DACA Recipients, Trump Administration Proposes Elimination of Marketplace Insurance Eligibility
In recently proposed regulatory changes to marketplace coverage, the Trump Administration intends to...
State Flexibility To Add Adult Dental Care to Essential Health Benefits: An Update on State Action
CMS recently finalized a change in the 2025 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters, granting state...
Federal Rule Gives Regulators Enhanced Tools to Ensure Equitable Access to Behavioral Health Care
Last fall, the Biden Administration finalized a rule updating standards for the Mental Health Parity...
A blast from the past: Dusting off ACA Section 1333 compacts
Peter Nelson, the new director of the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO...
Here’s Something to Celebrate: The Affordable Care Act Just Turned 15!
On March 23, 2025, we celebrated the 15th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In this post...
The Corporate Transformation of Health Care: Takeaways from the CHIR Webinar Series
Over the last two months, CHIR hosted a three-part webinar series about the corporate transformation...
February Research Roundup: What We’re Reading
In February we stayed out of the cold and bundled up with the latest in health policy research. We r...
Bringing Balance to the Market: A Roadmap for Improving Health Insurance Affordability Through Rate Review
High and rising healthcare costs in the U.S. are driven largely by escalating hospital prices, fuele...
Bipartisan Reports Indicate It’s Time to Take Action Against Private Equity in Health Care
Private equity is not new to the health care sector, but recent growth in private equity investment ...
January Research Roundup: What We’re Reading
Since the snow shows no sign of stopping, we might as well stay cozy inside and read up on the lates...
Implementing the No Surprises Act: Updated Complaint Data
The No Surprises Act (NSA) has largely succeeded in protecting consumers from surprise medical bills...
HHS’s Competition Officer Offers Healthcare Cost Containment Opportunities for the Trump Administration
The Biden administration has advanced several pro-competition reforms aimed at lowering health care ...
November Research Roundup: What We’re Reading
In November, CHIR was thankful for the latest health policy research. We read about charity care pro...
New York Legislature Seeks to Control Outpatient Spending through Site-Neutral Payment and Rate Cap Proposal
A new proposal in New York State seeks to reduce rising outpatient care costs by implementing site-n...
Biden Administration Proposal to Improve Access to Free Preventive Services Faces Uncertain Future
The Biden Administration has proposed a rule to expand coverage of preventive services, including ov...
Enhancing Essential Health Benefits: How States Are Updating Benchmark Plans to Improve Coverage
The Affordable Care Act mandates that health plans in the individual and small-group markets cover e...
Improving Health Care Transparency: Federal and State Perspectives
On November 20, CHIR hosted an all-star lineup of speakers to discuss how increased transparency can...
Enhanced Premium Tax Credits Provide an Early Opportunity for Addressing Affordability Issues
Enhanced premium tax credits (PTCs) have significantly reduced health insurance premiums and expande...
The Work Goes On: Preserving Equitable Access to Affordable, High Quality Health Insurance in Challenging Times
The 2024 election results will require concerted and aggressive efforts to preserve gains in insuran...
September Research Roundup: What We’re Reading
While the weather may be cooling down, the research is not! This month we read about Medicare Advant...
CHIR Expert Testifies About Facility Fees Before Texas House Insurance Committee
CHIR expert Christine Monahan recently testified before the Texas House Insurance Committee regardin...
Current Considerations for State Reinsurance Programs
Reinsurance has been a popular mechanism to stabilize insurance markets and reduce premiums. However...
High-Risk Pools: A High Risk Proposition for People with Pre-Existing Conditions
J.D. Vance, candidate for Vice President of the United States, has called for replacing the ACA's in...
Delays In Extending Enhanced Marketplace Subsidies Would Raise Premiums And Reduce Coverage
A debate is looming for the U.S. Congress - whether or not to extend enhanced premium tax credits fo...
Taking a Look at California’s Program to Assist People Losing Medi-Cal Enroll in Marketplace Coverage
A recently enacted law creates a streamlined pathway to health insurance for individuals who are fou...
2023 Data From The Independent Dispute Resolution Process: Select Providers Win Big
The No Surprises Act (NSA) protects consumers from unexpected medical bills, with disputes between p...
Biden Administration Proposes Rule To Ban Medical Debt From Credit Reporting
In response to widespread concerns about the impact of medical debt, the Consumer Financial Protecti...
New Georgetown CHIR Report Examines State Reforms of Prior Authorization
Health insurers use of prior authorization appears to be on the rise. A recent report by CHIR resear...
It’s Still the Prices: Looking Under the Hood at Proposed 2025 Premiums
July is rate review season for state insurance departments. Proposed premiums for 2025 can help reve...
Insurers Eye ICHRAs: Implications For the Small Group and Individual Markets
Two national health insurers recently discussed their plans to invest in "ICHRAs," tax advantaged ac...
How States Can Use Tax and Unemployment Filings to Sign People Up for Health Insurance
Easy-enrollment programs offer states an efficient, low-cost mechanism for connecting residents with...
States Increasingly Use Power Over Commercial Health Insurance to Boost Primary Care Investment
The U.S. significantly under-invests in primary care, even though the benefits of primary care acces...
Raise the Bar: State-Based Marketplaces Using Quality Tools to Enhance Health Equity
In a new post for the Commonwealth Fund's To The Point blog, CHIR's Jalisa Clark and Christine H. Mo...
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...
Final Rule Rescinds Trump-Era Association Health Plans
The US Department of Labor recently finalized regulations governing the formation of Association Hea...
Stakeholder Perspectives on CMS’s 2025 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters: Health Insurers and Brokers
The Biden administration will soon finalize its annual rulemaking for the Affordable Care Act Market...
Looking Under the Hood: “Enhanced” Rate Review to Improve Affordability
A handful of states are working to improve health insurance affordability by boosting their insuranc...
A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing: The Pitfalls of Treating Telehealth Coverage as an “Excepted Benefit”
Congress is considering legislation that would make telehealth coverage an "excepted benefit." CHIR ...
What States Are Doing to Keep People Covered as Medicaid Continuous Coverage Enrollment Unwinds
Several state-based Marketplaces have deployed innovative programs to keep people covered during the...
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...
State Action to Protect and Promote Abortion Access in State-Regulated Health Plans
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade, states have taken action to p...
Oregon Advances Basic Health Program: Considerations for States
A September 12 vote in Oregon would make it the third state to establish a Basic Health Program, aft...
August Research Roundup: What We’re Reading
As summer was winding down, CHIR was reading up on the latest health policy research. In August, we ...
Colorado Option: Increasing Transparency and Driving Down Costs Through Enhanced Rate Review
The "Colorado Option" - a unique state effort improve health insurance affordability - is underway. ...
Health Care Sharing Ministry Data Point to Problems for Consumers, Regulators
Millions of Americans rely on Health Care Sharing Ministries (HCSM) in lieu of insurance to provide ...
Surprise Billing: Volume Of Cases Using Independent Dispute Resolution Continues Higher Than Anticipated
The No Surprises Act is largely working as intended to protect patients from unexpected medical bill...
July Research Roundup: What We’re Reading
CHIR’s summer reading list includes the latest health policy literature. In July, we read about th...
Tackling Another Public Health Emergency: Recent State and Federal Policies to Increase Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Access
While the federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) ended in May, the PHE declaration for the o...
June Research Roundup: What We’re Reading
As we splashed into summer, CHIR soaked up the latest health policy research along with some rays. I...
Mixed Results: Efforts of State Health Plans to Combat Cost Growth Reveal Broader Challenges for Employer-based Insurance
State employee health plans are uniquely situated to tackle the health care cost growth that is redu...
Can Employer-Sponsored Insurance Be Saved? A Review of Policy Options: Price Transparency
The rising costs of employer-sponsored insurance are placing financial pressure on employers and wor...
Health Policy Pride: An Overview of Private Coverage Issues Impacting the LGBTQ+ Community
Happy Pride Month from CHIR! Each June, Pride is an opportunity to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community an...
May Research Roundup: What We’re Reading
April showers bring May flowers, and May was abloom with health policy research. Last month, we read...
Proposed Expansion of Self-funding for Small Employers Would Roll Back Affordable Care Act Protections, Pre-empt State Insurance Oversight
The U.S. House of Representatives' Education & Workforce Committee is poised to advance H.R. 2813, l...
Preserving the ACA’s Preventive Services Protections in the Wake of Braidwood v. Becerra: A Checklist of State Options
On May 15, 2023, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily paused the Braidwood v. Becerra ruling...
The Health Plan Price Transparency Data Files Are a Mess – States Can Help Make Them Better
The transparency of health care prices can help policymakers, employers, and researchers identify th...
Reducing Health Care Costs For Working Families
The U.S. House of Representatives' Education & Workforce Committee is considering several bills affe...
Final 2024 Payment Rule, Part 1: Insurance Market Rules And Consumer Assistance
The Biden administration has published its rules for the ACA's insurers and Marketplaces for plan ye...
March Research Roundup: What We’re Reading
Winter is finally over, and health policy research is in full bloom. In March, we read about dispari...
A World Without The ACA’s Preventive Services Protections: The Impact Of The Braidwood Decision
The U.S. Department of Justice has requested that a Texas district court suspend its decision to str...
February Research Roundup: What We’re Reading
Along with “Health Policy Valentines,” February brought a host of new health policy research. Th...
Can Employer-Sponsored Insurance Be Saved? A Review of Policy Options: Limiting Provider Consolidation and Anti-Competitive Behavior
High and rising health care prices are a key driver of increased cost sharing in employer plans. A s...
Secrets to a Successful Unwinding: Actions State-Based Marketplaces and Insurance Departments Can Take to Improve Coverage Transitions
States have begun conducting Medicaid redeterminations and renewals after an almost 3-year pause, a ...
U.S. Health Insurance Coverage and Financing
In a new Perspectives piece for the New England Journal of Medicine, CHIR's Sabrina Corlette and Ch...
Can Employer-sponsored Insurance Be Saved? A Review of Policy Options: Price Regulation
Health insurance is becoming increasingly unaffordable for employers and workers alike. In the secon...
December Research Roundup: What We’re Reading
Happy New Year! The holiday season may be over, but health policy researchers continue to bestow gif...
The Proposed 2024 Notice of Benefit & Payment Parameters: Implications for States
The Biden administration released a draft of the annual rule governing the Affordable Care Act marke...
Navigator Guide FAQs of the Week: What to Know About Off-marketplace Plans
Although the deadline to enroll in a marketplace plan beginning January 1 has passed in most states,...
Navigator Guide FAQs of the Week: Coverage of Reproductive Health Care
In most states, it’s the last week to sign up for marketplace plan that begins January 1. The Affo...
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...
Bridging the Gap: Oregon’s Proposal to Ease Coverage Transitions at the End of Public Health Emergency
At the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, millions of people will lose Medicaid as states ...
New CHIR Report Examines Federal-State Partnership in No Surprises Act Implementation
The No Surprises Act (NSA) aims to protect consumers facing surprise medical bills after receiving c...
Federal Court Decision Threatens the ACA’s Preventive Services Benefit: State Options to Mitigate Harm to Consumers
A federal judge in Texas has ruled that Affordable Care Act requirements that insurers cover and wai...
The No Surprises Act Final Rule: Implications for State Regulators
The Biden administration has published its final rules governing the independent dispute resolution ...
Amidst Rising Overdose Deaths, Policymakers Look for Ways to Expand Access to Proven Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
As the number of opioid-related overdose fatalities remains alarmingly high, access to medication-as...
Healthcare Provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act: Implications for States
Congress is poised to enact the Inflation Reduction Act, a $740 billion reconciliation package that ...
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...
Delays Extending The American Rescue Plan’s Health Insurance Subsidies Will Raise Premiums And Reduce Coverage
Congress has spent months debating an extension of enhanced premium tax credits enacted under the Am...
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 1...
New Georgetown Report on Medicaid and Marketplace Network Adequacy
A recently published report from Georgetown's Center on Health Insurance Reforms and Center for Chil...
Preparing for the Biggest Coverage Event Since the ACA: The Role of States as Medicaid Continuous Coverage Comes to an End
CHIR and our colleagues at the Center for Children and Families (CCF) have published two new resourc...
Adoption of Value-Based, Alternative Payment Models: Where Are We Today and Where Do We Go from Here?
Employer-sponsored health insurance costs had their highest annual increase since 2010 last year, an...
New Requirements to Cover Over-the-counter COVID Tests: Implications for State Insurance Regulators
New federal rules require health insurers to cover and waive consumer cost-sharing for over-the-coun...
The New Year Brings New Protection Against Surprise Medical Bills: What Consumers Need to Know
As we enter 2022, consumers are now protected from many of the worst surprise medical bills. The No ...
The Proposed 2023 Notice of Benefit & Payment Parameters: Implications for States
The Biden administration has proposed a range of new standards and policies for the Affordable Care ...
Consumers Have More Time to Shop for a 2022 Health Insurance Plan
For the past four years, December 15 has been the deadline for most Americans to enroll in the Affor...
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
The Biden administration has announced a new policy to require health plans to pay for at-home COVID...
Build Back Better Act Clears Major Hurdle
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the "Build Back Better Act" with provisions that signif...
Building on and Strengthening the ACA: Private Coverage Provisions of the Build Back Better Act
The details of President Biden's "Build Back Better" legislation were released on October 28. It con...
State Health Care Purchasers Can Push Hospitals To Comply With Federal Transparency Requirements
Federal law now requires hospitals to publish the prices they negotiate with private insurers, yet m...
Final Round of Rulemaking for 2022 Affordable Care Act Marketplaces: Implications for States
The Biden administration continues to put its stamp on the Affordable Care Act marketplaces with new...
Federal Committee Recommends Airline Deregulation Act Changes to Avoid Conflicts with No Surprises Act
Air ambulances are one of the largest sources of surprise medical bills. While the No Surprises Act ...
Stakeholder Perspectives on Round Three of CMS’s 2022 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters. Part 3: Consumer Advocates
The Biden administration has proposed several policy changes designed to boost enrollment in the Aff...
Delta Airlines to Require Unvaccinated Employees to Pay Higher Premiums: Legal? Maybe. Smart policy? Not So Much.
Delta Airlines made headlines by announcing it would charge unvaccinated workers an additional $200 ...
Restraining Balance Billing by Air Ambulance Providers: CHIR Keeps Up with Federal Advisory Committee and Regulatory Actions
Air ambulances are the source of some of the largest unexpected medical bills faced by consumers. Be...
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Recent Federal Policy on Small Business Health Insurance
CHIR researchers have teamed up once again with the Urban Institute to assess how federal policy is ...
State Public Option–Style Laws: What Policymakers Need to Know
In recent months, Washington, Colorado, and Nevada, have enacted public option-style laws aimed at c...
Putting Surprise Billing Protections into Practice: Biden Administration Releases First Set of Regulations
The Biden administration has issued the first in a series of rules to implement the No Surprises Act...
Banning Surprise Bills: Biden Administration Issues First Rule On The No Surprises Act
When Congress enacted the "No Surprises Act" last year to ban unexpected out-of-network medical bill...
Round III of the 2022 Notice of Benefit & Payment Parameters: Implications for States
The Biden administration has released its first major set of proposed rules governing the Affordable...
“As if COVID-19 Did Not Exist”: Health Plans Prepare for 2022 in Early Rate Filings
Several states ask for – and publicly post – health insurers’ proposed 2022 premium rates in M...
Third Time’s Not the Charm: Connecticut’s Public Option Bill Fails Once Again
Connecticut’s efforts to pass a public option bill for the third year in a row came to an early en...
A Permanent Boost to Federal Premium Assistance Could Change State Approaches to ACA 1332 Waivers
The American Rescue Plan temporarily increases the availability and generosity of federal premium as...
The Affordable Care Act in the Biden Era: Identifying Federal Priorities for Administrative Action
The Biden administration has pledged to use its executive authority to build on and improve the Affo...
Nevada Jumps Aboard the Public Option Train: Legislative Proposal Aims to Lower Health Care Costs, Expand Coverage Choices
Nevada is the latest state to consider sponsoring a public option plan to compete with private insur...
The Final 2022 Notice of Benefit & Payment Parameters: Implications for States
In its first major rulemaking related to the Affordable Care Act, the Biden administration published...
ACA “Family Glitch” Increases Health Care Costs for Millions of Low- and Middle-Income Families
The family glitch bars millions of people from accessing reduced premiums and cost-sharing through t...
Hybrid Approach to Resolving Payment Disputes Breaks Legislative Stalemates Over Balance Billing, How Will the No Surprises Act Affect These New State Laws?
Seven states in 2020 were able to break a longstanding stalemate and enact protections against surpr...
The No Surprises Act and Preemption of State Balance Billing Protections
The No Surprises Act of 2020 sets up a new national framework to protect patients from surprise out-...
The American Rescue Plan: What You Need to Know about Enhanced Premium Tax Credits
President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act on March 11, 2021. The bill includes several pro...
New Georgetown CHIR Report: Taking the Disputes out of Dispute Resolution
The U.S. Congress enacted the No Surprises Act in 2020 to protect patients from surprise out-of-netw...
American Rescue Plan Act Will Strengthen Public and Private Health Insurance
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 provides the largest expansion of public and private health ins...
An Opportunity to Protect Consumers and Ensure a Level Playing Field: Reversing Trump-era Rules on Association Health Plans
An executive order from President Biden is likely to prompt a review of Trump administration rules e...
Workplace Wellness Programs Have Overlooked Health Equity
One of President Biden's first executive actions was to require the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunit...
FTC’s Opportunity to Protect Consumers from Deceptively Marketed Alternative Coverage Arrangements
Consumers are being bombarded with aggressive and deceptive marketing of short-term and other junk h...
Expanded Coverage For COVID-19 Testing Must Include Limits On Costs
President Biden has issued an Executive Order likely to expand the mandate for private insurers to c...
The No Surprises Act: Implications for States
In the waning days of 2020, Congress enacted the No Surprises Act, which provides, for the first tim...
Unpacking The No Surprises Act: An Opportunity To Protect Millions
Congress included the No Surprises Act in the omnibus spending bill that was passed and signed into ...
2020 – It’s a Wrap. CHIR Takes Stock of a Tumultuous, but Busy Year
We at Georgetown CHIR look back at this tumultuous, tragic, and eventful year and are thankful we ha...
Stable Rates Reflect Strength of ACA Marketplaces
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many predicted that insurers would need to dramatically hike ...
A New Day for Affordable, Comprehensive Health Coverage: 2021 and the Biden Agenda
The results of the 2020 elections will bring a sea of change in federal health insurance policy. CHI...
COVID-19 and MLR Guidance on Risk Corridor Recoveries: State Options for Restoring Funds to Policyholders and the Public
The Supreme Court has required the federal government to reimburse health insurers for an estimated ...
Ensuring Access to the COVID-19 Vaccine for Enrollees in Private Health Insurance: A Roadmap for States
States and the federal government are preparing for the approval of a COVID-19 vaccine. But just as ...
Children Are Losing Health Insurance
Georgetown University's Center for Children & Families is out with their annual report on kids' heal...
New Report Documents Progress and Remaining Challenges in Ensuring Equal Access to Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Services in California
California has enacted a law strengthening the state’s mental health parity protections for Califo...
Where’s the Plan? Trump Executive Order Fails to Include any Policy to Protect Health Care if the ACA is Struck Down
With the Affordable Care Act now at significantly greater risk in the Supreme Court, the Trump admin...
Imposing The Costs Of Workplace Coronavirus Testing On Group Plan Coverage Would Place An Excessive Burden On Essential Workers
To re-open safely, many employers will need to rely on regular testing for the virus that causes COV...
How much will COVID-19 drive up uninsured numbers? New report underscores how hard it is to know
A new report published by the Urban Institute provides updated estimates on how many people are like...
Update on Federal Mandates to Cover COVID-19 Testing Services: New Guidance for States, Plans, and Insurers
The Trump administration recently issued guidance to health insurers, determining that they are not ...
Why We Can’t Rely on Health Insurance Alone to Guarantee Universal Immunization Against COVID-19
Many Americans are pinning their hopes on a vaccine to bring COVID-19 to heel. But, as George Washin...
On the Whole, Health Insurers Aren’t – Yet – Fearing COVID-19 Costs: A Review of 2021 Rate Filings
Several states ask for – and publicly post – health insurers’ proposed 2021 premium rates in M...
Instead of Encouraging Enrollment in Comprehensive Health Coverage, New Federal Guidance Requires Taxpayers to Subsidize Health Care Sharing Ministries
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the IRS has published a proposed rule that would grant tax ad...
I’ve been calling for greater private insurance coverage of COVID-19 testing. I’ve been wrong
As the nation combats the biggest threat to its public health and economy that any of us have seen i...
The Provider Relief Fund: How Well Does it Protect Patients from Surprise Medical Bills for COVID-19 Related Services?
The $175 billion Provider Relief Fund prohibits participating providers from balance billing COVID-1...
Insurance Companies Are Investing in the Social Determinants of Health, But Widespread Changes in Benefits Remain to be Seen
Federal and state health care policies have begun to encourage greater investments in the social det...
Individual Market Insurance Brokers Report Improved Consumer Options, But Also Risks from Short-term and Other Alternative Products
In a new report, CHIR researchers teamed up with the Urban Institute to assess trends in the individ...
Expanded Coverage for COVID-19 Testing is an Important Step, But Loopholes Expose All of Us to Greater Risk
Congress has enacted legislation that includes provisions to lower financial barriers to COVID-19 te...
When Things Fall Apart: A Roadmap for State Regulators Managing Fallout from Provider-Payer Contract Disputes
High profile contract disputes between insurers and providers appear to be on the rise, raising the ...
Coronavirus Exposes Big Gaps in the U.S. System Of Coverage: What Can States Do to Help?
The cost of medical care associated with the novel coronavirus can be a barrier for many people who ...
How States Are Using Independent Dispute Resolution to Resolve Out-of-Network Payments in Surprise Billing
As Congress and a number of states craft legislation to protect consumers from surprise out-of-netwo...
Addressing Surprise Billing by Setting Payment Standards for Out-of-Network Providers
The thorniest issue in pending legislation to protect consumers from surprise medical billing is how...
Update on Federal Surprise Billing Legislation: New Bills Contain Key Differences
Congressional leaders are racing to meet a self-imposed May deadline for passing legislation to prot...
A Mixed Bag for States: The Proposed 2021 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters
The Trump administration's proposed rule governing the Affordable Care Act insurance markets for 202...
The Public Option Plan is Popular, but State Efforts to Enact it Face Challenges
New polling finds the public option plan is popular, but how are such proposals faring in the states...
Our Top Ten Health Insurance Policy Issues to Watch in 2020
CHIR is back from vacation and strapping in for a busy 2020. These are the top ten health insurance ...
Update on Federal Surprise Billing Legislation: Understanding a Flurry of New Proposals
In their latest piece for the Commonwealth Fund's To the Point blog, Jack Hoadley, Beth Fuchs, and K...
5th Circuit Decision in Texas v. U.S. Prolongs Uncertainty for Health Care Consumers, Markets
Perhaps knowing their decision would sow consumer confusion and market uncertainty, the 5th Circuit ...
New Georgetown CHIR Report Finds Ability of Insurers, Employers to Respond to Provider Consolidation is Limited
A new Georgetown CHIR report synthesizing the case studies of 6 health care markets finds that insur...
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 ...
Trump Administration Launches New Program that Could Undermine ACA Protections
The Trump administration recently announced a new 10-state demonstration project to allow insurers t...
Stakeholders Weigh in on the Risk Corridor Litigation: Are Public-Private Partnerships At Risk?
On December 10, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Maine Community Health Options v....
Disputes over Dispute Resolution: Analyses of New York & California-style Surprise Billing Protections Offer Divergent Pictures
The U.S. Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has a new analysis of legislation that would protect pati...
Comparing Federal Legislation on Surprise Billing
Legislation to protect consumers from surprise medical bills is advancing on a bipartisan basis in b...
Will it Fly? Wyoming Attempts End Run Around High Air Ambulance Prices
Air ambulance charges are a significant source of surprise out-of-network bills for many patients, w...
Federal Rule Creating New Health Coverage Option for Employers Could Destabilize the Individual Market
The Trump administration recently published final rules expanding employers' use of Health Reimburse...
Successfully Splitting the Baby: Design Considerations for Federal Balance Billing Legislation
The U.S. Congress is advancing legislation to protect patients from surprise medical bills. Yet cons...
New Trump Executive Order Could Expand Enrollment in Health Care Sharing Ministries, Direct Primary Care Arrangements
A recent Executive Order from President Trump calls on the U.S. Department of Treasury to allow taxp...
Can States Fill the Gap if the Courts Overturn Preexisting-Condition Protections?
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals is expected to hear arguments in litigation over the future of the ...
Most Stakeholders Oppose Expanding the Sale of Coverage Across State Lines: Reactions to HHS’ Request for Comments
The Trump administration recently asked the public to submit input on policies that would encourage ...
Protecting People with Preexisting Conditions Requires More Than a Piecemeal Approach: An Assessment of a Louisiana Bill to Codify Some, But Not All, ACA Protections
Several state legislatures are considering bills to re-instate the Affordable Care Act's preexisting...
New York’s Law to Protect People from Surprise Balance Bills is Working as Intended, but Gaps Remain
New York's 2014 law to protect consumers from surprise out-of-network medical bills has been touted ...
Federal Proposal Creating New HRAs for Employers Creates Risks for Employees, the Individual Market
The Trump administration is expected to soon publish a final rule to expand employers' use of Health...
New Study: Consumers Don’t Understand That Short-term Plans Lack Protections, Benefits
A study commissioned by consumer representatives to the National Association of Insurance Commission...
What Does the Latest Federal Court Decision Mean for Association Health Plans – and the States that Regulate Them?
On March 28, 2019, a federal district court invalidated the Trump administration's rule encouraging ...
Affordable Care Act Back in the Spotlight: Build on its Progress or Scrap it Entirely?
It is hard to find a starker example of the different approaches our two political parties take to h...
What, if Anything, Do the Latest Cost Sharing Reduction (CSR) Court Rulings Mean for 2020 Premiums?
The federal government could be on the hook for billions of dollars in reimbursement to insurance co...
Saying Goodbye to a Hero
Over the weekend we said goodbye to a dear friend. Rob Restuccia lost his 6-month battle against pan...
Stakeholders React to the Administration’s Proposed Rule on Health Reimbursement Arrangements. Part 3: Employers, Brokers, and Employee Benefit Advisors
In October, the Departments of Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services issued a proposed rule...
Efforts to Protect Workers with Pre-existing Conditions
On February 6, 2019, the U.S. House of Representatives' Education & Labor Committee held a hearing o...
It’s All About the Rating: Touted “Benefits” of Association Health Plans Ignore Key Facts
A recent Washington Post article touted the emergence of association health plans under recent Trump...
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...
Complacency Slows Aggressive Approaches to Health Care Cost Containment: A View from Three Markets
Consolidation among hospitals and physician practices is driving a steady rise in health care costs....
Texas Court Ruling Throws Future of ACA’s Pre-existing Condition Protections, Coverage Gains into Doubt
A district court judge in Texas has issued a ruling that could throw close to one-fifth of the U.S. ...
Large Employer Strategies to Combat Increasing Healthcare Costs: Trends in Direct Contracting, On-Site Clinics and More
Employers currently insure 155 million people, but many are finding it increasingly challenging to m...
Proposed Marketplace Program Integrity Rule: Summary and Implications for States
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has proposed new standards for Affordable Care Act ma...
Navigator Guide FAQ of the Week: Eligibility for Premium Tax Credits
The midterm elections are over, but open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act marketplaces is in f...
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...
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...
Proposed “Public Charge” Rule Risks Immigrants’ Access to Private Coverage, Too
A federal proposal would make it more difficult for immigrants to obtain a green card if they've rec...
Lawmakers had a Chance to Provide Relief from Surprise Medical Bills – and Whiffed It
Although health care costs and surprise medical bills top the list of voters' concerns this election...
When Policy and Politics Conflict: Challenges to State-level Market Stabilization Efforts
Within the last month, Delaware has adopted two policies with diametrically different effects on the...
Next Effort to Repeal ACA Would Likely Look Like Last One
Congressional Republicans plan to pursue another attempt at repealing the Affordable Care Act next y...
Major State Medical Association Warns Consumers about Health Care Sharing Ministries
The Texas Medical Association recently issued a warning to consumers about the risks of health care ...
Short-term, Limited Duration Insurance Final Rule: Summary and State Options
The Trump administration has finalized a new federal definition of short-term, limited duration insu...
To Understand How Consumers Are Faring in the Individual Health Insurance Markets, Watch the States
Through both inaction and design, federal policymakers have put the onus on states to ensure access ...
Look Past the Jargon and the Trump Administration’s Risk Adjustment Decision Ultimately Hurts People with Pre-existing Conditions
The Trump administration recently decided to suspend payments under an obscure Affordable Care Act p...
What’s in the Association Health Plan Final Rule? Implications for States
The Trump administration has released new rules to expand the availability of association health pla...
Stakeholders Respond to the Proposed Short-term, Limited Duration Insurance Rule. Part III: State Insurance Departments and Marketplaces
The Departments of Labor, Health & Human Services, and Treasury received over 9,000 comments on thei...
The Effects of Federal Policy: What Early Premium Rate Filings Can Tell Us About the Future of the Affordable Care Act
Insurers have started to propose some pretty eye-popping premium increases for Affordable Care Act c...
New Georgetown-Society of Actuaries’ Report: Estimating the Impact of Association Health Plans on the Individual Market
The Trump administration is expected to shortly finalize new rules expanding the availability of ass...
The 2019 Affordable Care Act Payment Rule: Summary & Implications for States
The Trump administration has released a new final rule to govern the Affordable Care Act's individua...
The Future of the Affordable Care Act under President Trump: Stakeholders Respond to the Proposed Association Health Plan Rule. Part V: Departments of Insurance
In this final blog in our series reviewing stakeholder comments on the Department of Labor’s propo...
New Georgetown – Urban Institute Report Finds Health Plans Bracing for More Federal Uncertainty Over Affordable Care Act
Researchers from Georgetown CHIR and the Urban Institute have released a new report documenting the ...
The Future of the Affordable Care Act under President Trump: Stakeholders Respond to the Proposed Association Health Plan Rule. Part II: Consumer Advocates
Over 900 comment letters were submitted to the U.S. Department of Labor in response to the proposed ...
Making Short-Term Plans a Long Term Coverage Option: Risks to Consumers and to Markets
The White House and Secretary of Health & Human Services have recently called for making short-term ...
Short-Term, Limited Duration Insurance Proposed Rule: Summary and Options for States
New proposed rules from the Trump administration would loosen current federal restrictions on short-...
Idaho Goes Rogue: State Authorizes Sale of Health Plans that Violate the Affordable Care Act
Idaho has just published rules for new, “state-based” health plans that are exempt from many of ...
Research Update: Health Care Expenses from Families’ Budgets to Federal Budgets
Recent research highlights how health insurance coverage eases financial pressure on families' budge...
2018 Outlook: What Health Insurance Experts at CHIR Will be Watching
Last year brought a lot of surprises in health care policy, and 2018 is shaping up to be more of the...
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...
New Rules Pending on Short-Term Health Plans: Impacts for Consumers, Markets and Potential State Responses
New rules are due any day now in response to President Trump's October 13, 2017 executive order to e...
The Open Enrollment Clock is Ticking: Drop (what you’re doing), Shop, and Enroll
Open enrollment for 2018 Affordable Care Act coverage ends on December 15th. While in the midst of t...
State Options Blog Series: Implications of Weakening the 80-20 Rule for States and Consumers
The Trump administration recently issued a proposed regulation that could significantly impact how m...
House GOP Tax Bill’s Elimination of the Medical Expense Deduction Takes Aim at the Middle Class
The U.S. House of Representatives' tax reform bill would eliminate the medical expense deduction to ...
When the Individual Market Dies, Where will People Go? A Eulogy
The individual market may not be dead yet, but it soon will be, thanks to recent actions by the Trum...
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...
It’s Not Time to Give Away Consumer Protections for Cost-Sharing Reduction Reimbursements
In the wake of a White House decision to end reimbursements to insurers for cost-sharing reduction (...
States Work to Preserve Affordable Care Act Progress amidst Federal Disorder
It's been a bumpy year for state insurance and marketplace officials, thanks to considerable uncerta...
A Blow to Working Class Coverage
On the heels of multiple failed attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, President Trump attempts...
State Options Blog Series: Federal Regulators May Weaken ACA Essential Health Benefits Requirements, Creating Need for States to Protect Consumers
In the third of a multi-part blog series on state options in the wake of federal actions to roll bac...
Graham-Cassidy’s Waiver Program Allows States to Erase Protections for People with Pre-existing Conditions
Once again, Congress is poised to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Proponents of the bill...
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...
States Take the Lead with Policies to Protect Residents with Chronic Conditions from High Out-of-Pocket Drug Costs
Lowering the cost of prescription medication has broad support over the political spectrum and there...
Recent and Potential Regulatory Actions to Roll Back the ACA: State Options Blog Series
While members of Congress debate possible bipartisan actions on the ACA, the future sustainability o...
Future of Health Reform: A prescription for individual market stability
As policy uncertainty in Washington, DC roils health insurance markets nationwide, states like Minne...
Lots of Questions but Few Answers: NAIC’s 2017 Summer Meeting
State insurance regulators met for the NAIC's annual summer meeting in Philadelphia last week amidst...
Relaxing the ACA’s Regulations: Stakeholders Respond to HHS’ Request for Information: Part 1—Insurers
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services asked this spring for public comments on potential ch...
Affordable Care Act Reforms Not Fully Realized for Small Businesses: New Study Documents a Market in Transition
A new report published by the Urban Institute and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation uncovers trends in ...
No Rest for the Weary: Unexpected Defeat of ACA Repeal Effort Doesn’t Mean End of Threats to Law
In the wake of the surprise defeat of the effort to repeal the ACA, President Trump called for letti...
Important Gains under the ACA for Cancer Patients And Their Families
While there may be a respite from the push to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a ne...
“Small Business Health Plans”: Undermining States’ Authority and a Recipe for Fewer Plan Choices and Higher Premiums
The U.S. Senate stands poised to debate a bill, the Better Care Reconciliation Act, that would not o...
Insurer Q2 Earnings Reports Begin—How Will Companies React to Federal Uncertainty?
We're in the midst of second quarter financial earnings calls for some of the biggest health insurer...
A Head Scratcher of a Bill: Revised Senate Health Care Legislation Likely to Undermine Pre-existing Condition Protections, Upend Insurance Markets
Policymakers promised to replace the Affordable Care Act with something that would cover "everybody,...
Have Employer Coverage? GOP Proposals Will Affect You Too (Part 2)
Much of the focus of the debate over repealing and replacing the ACA has been on the individual insu...
State Efforts to Lower Cost-Sharing Barriers to Health Care for the Privately Insured
Current federal proposals to replace the Affordable Care Act are likely to result in higher out-of-p...
“Bare” Counties Are a Real Concern. Short-Term Policies Are Not the Answer
Fourteen U.S. Senators have sent a letter to Secretary Price, urging him to roll back an Obama-era r...
We Read Actuarial Memoranda so You Don’t Have to: Trends from Early Health Plan Rate Filings
A handful of states have received insurers' 2018 premium rate requests for the Affordable Care Act m...
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...
Responding to the Opioid Crisis: Insurers Balance Stepped up Monitoring, Restrictions with Need for Appropriate Pain Treatment
The United States has an opioid epidemic, with an unprecedented number of opioid-related deaths in r...
Winding Down the Small Business Marketplaces: Feds Acknowledge the Failure to Launch
Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that it would propose rulemaking to...
Proposed Premium Rates for 2018: What do Early Insurance Company Filings Tell Us?
Insurers are starting to submit their proposed plans and rates for 2018 coverage to state regulators...
Mother’s Day Menu from Congress and the American Health Care Act
This Mother’s Day, Congress is giving mothers a new health coverage menu with options for states a...
The MacArthur Amendment: The Final Death Blow for the Affordable Care Act CO-OP Plans
A provision tucked into an amendment to the House-passed "American Health Care Act" would effectivel...
2017 Federal and State Marketplace Trends Show Value of Outreach
The fourth open enrollment period ended in early 2017, with dwindling momentum behind enrollment eff...
Alexander-Corker Bill Would Likely Reduce, Not Expand, Consumers’ Health Insurance Options
Humana's decision to pull out of the individual market in 2018 has prompted more concern over areas ...
Court Dismisses Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina’s Risk Corridor Lawsuit—What About the Other Risk Cases?
On April 18, the United States Court of Federal Claims dismissed Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North...
Who Would Gain Under the Proposal to Expand Health Savings Accounts?
Health savings accounts play a key role in most Republican plans to repeal and replace the Affordabl...
New Network Adequacy Rules: Less Federal Oversight, More Deference to States
In a soon to be finalized "market stabilization" rule, the Trump Administration has proposed a new a...
Fix it, Don’t End it: Common Sense Prescriptions for Individual Market Stability
For the time being, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the "law of the land." But increasing uncertain...
House Proposal to Promote Association Health Plans Poses Risks for Insurance Markets, Consumers
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to promote federally certified association health pl...
With all Eyes on AHCA, House Advances 3 Bills that Could Reduce Benefits, Raise Costs for People in Employer-Based Coverage
While all eyes were on the House reconciliation bill to repeal and replace parts of the ACA, another...
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...
Reading the Fine Print: Do ACA Replacement Proposals Give States More Flexibility and Authority?
State leaders have been heartened by statements from the new President and Congressional leaders tha...
Repealing The ACA Could Worsen The Opioid Epidemic
As our country grapples with an “unprecedented opioid epidemic,” Congress is taking steps to tak...
Congress Asked States for Health Reform Ideas. They May Be Surprised by What They Hear
Shortly after the election, Congress asked state officials to provide input on repealing and replaci...
Uncertain Future for the Affordable Care Act Leads Insurers to Rethink Participation, Prices
Amid an uncertain future for the Affordable Care Act, insurers face crucial decisions whether to rem...
State Experiences Show Why Repealing the ACA’s Premium Subsidies and Individual Mandate Would Cripple Individual Health Insurance Markets
What will happen if the Affordable Care Act is repealed without a replacement? In their latest artic...
President Obama’s Health Care Legacy
The end of the Obama Presidency is an opportunity to step back and assess his health care legacy and...
Tick Tock: An Unforgiving Calendar for Health Plans Makes Orderly “Transition” for Affordable Care Act Repeal Unlikely
The incoming Congress and Administration have pledged to repeal the Affordable Care Act but hope to ...
The NAIC Fall Meeting: ACA on the mind if not on the agenda
The NAIC wrapped up its Fall National Meeting last week, and although there was little of the upcomi...
New Analysis: Repeal of the Affordable Care Act through Reconciliation Throws Almost 30 Million off Coverage
A new Urban Institute analysis shows that close to 30 million people will lose coverage if the Affor...
The Affordable Care Act prohibits discriminatory benefit design, but how is that enforced?
The Affordable Care Act put in place new protections to prevent health plan benefit designs that dis...
Definition of Insanity? Trump Transition Team Proposals for “Replacing” the Affordable Care Act
President-elect Trump's transition team has posted their top replacement ideas for the Affordable Ca...
How Could a New Administration Tackle Affordable Care Act Challenges? Look to Medicare
The next President and Congress will likely need to consider policy options to help stabilize the Af...
New Marketplace Research: Off-Marketplace Consumers and How Marketplace Enrollees Fare in Expansion and Nonexpansion States
Two new studies captured our attention recently. One, from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Ser...
New and Improved Navigator Resource Guide
There's a national election approaching but it isn't for President. In just one week, consumers can ...
The End of SHOP as We Know It?
There’s a provision tucked into a recently proposed federal rule that could effectively destroy th...
Enrollees Aren’t Abusing Marketplace Grace Period
Insurers and other critics have called on the Obama Administration to shorten the 3-month grace peri...
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 Affordable Care Act: Efforts to Address Barriers to Health Equity
Disparities in health insurance coverage and accessing health care continue to be a challenge in the...
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...
Hand-Wringing Over the Affordable Care Act Forgets How Very Far We Have Come
The latest round of news about insurance company exits and price increases in the Affordable Care Ac...
Future of Children’s Health Coverage Series Brief #2: Rethinking Pediatric Dental Coverage
Inadequate coverage of children's dental health can lead to serious health problems and long-term co...
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...
New Report Recommends Policies to Promote Access to Affordable Prescription Drugs
Access to prescription drugs is critically important to millions of individuals and families nationw...
As Administration Reviews Comments on Short-Term Insurance Plans, Analysis Finds Gaps in Coverage
The Obama Administration is reviewing feedback on its proposed rule to clamp down on the sale of sho...
Stabilizing the Affordable Care Act Marketplaces: Lessons from Medicare
In the late 1990s, Medicare officials faced decisions by insurers to cancel nearly half of their Med...
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 ...
New Commonwealth Fund Brief Examines Exclusions in Health Insurance Plans that Place Women’s Health at Risk
A new issue brief published by the Commonwealth Fund and authored by CHIR's newest faculty member, D...
State-Run SHOPs: An Update Three Years Post ACA Implementation
Small-business owners face unique challenges covering their employees; to lower barriers and increas...
New Health Affairs Policy Brief Examines the Regulation of Health Plan Provider Networks
Limited networks have become increasingly common on ACA marketplaces, comprising almost half of all ...
Factors Affecting Health Insurance Enrollment Through the State Marketplaces: Observations on the ACA’s Third Open Enrollment Period
Despite declining funding, enrollment through the state-based marketplaces increased nearly nine per...
The Sky is Not Falling: CHIR Expert Kevin Lucia Talks Trends in Coverage and Affordability on the ACA Marketplaces
On Friday, July 15, CHIR’s very own Kevin Lucia spoke at a briefing on ACA marketplaces put on by ...
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 ...
An Evolving Primary Care Model: Nurse Practioners, Physician Assistants are Gaining Autonomy, but Barriers Remain
Sixty million people in the U.S. lack access to primary care services, partly due to a shortage of p...
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...
Study: Medicaid Offers Stronger Cost Sharing Protections Compared with Marketplace Coverage
In the debate over Medicaid expansion, most of the attention has been on families in non-expansion s...
California Moves Toward Offering Full Price Coverage to Ineligible Immigrants in its Marketplace
California will soon be requesting a waiver from federal officials that would enable the state healt...
You Don’t Know Who You Are Dealing With: Unscrupulous Broker Tries to Sell Us Short-Term Health Insurance
An insurance broker called a CHIR faculty member with a shady sales pitch for a short-term health pl...
Improving Marketplace Coverage for Children
What does coverage look like for children on the Affordable Care Act health insurance marketplaces? ...
Georgetown CCF Releases First in Series of Briefs on the Future of Children’s Health Coverage
Our Georgetown colleagues at the Center for Children and Families have released the first installmen...
The Next Stage in Health Reform
Health reform is entering a new stage. Going forward, federal and state policymakers must decide how...
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...
CHIR Expert Testifies Before U.S. House Committee on Affordable Care Act “Alternatives”
Our very own Sabrina Corlette was invited back to the U.S. House of Representatives for the second t...
The ACA is Helping Moms this Mother’s Day
A new Urban Institute study examines data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to analyz...
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...
Major New Rule Seeks to Modernize & Improve Quality of Medicaid Managed Care
Last week the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released a much-anticipated final rule on M...
One Way Insurers Could Improve Marketplace Risk Pools? Stop Cannibalizing Their Own Business
It’s starting to be as predictable as April showers. As soon as open enrollment for ACA health pla...
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...
CHIR Expert Testifies Before U.S. House Education & Workforce Committee about Innovations in Health Care
On Thursday, April 14, CHIR's own Sabrina Corlette testified before the U.S. House of Representative...
Missouri’s Health Reform Assisters Triumph In Court
Health reform advocates experienced a win last month, when a federal court in Missouri struck down t...
President Obama’s Budget Takes State-Level Debates over Surprise Out-of-Network Bills to National Policymakers
President Obama's 2017 budget includes a new proposal to help protect consumers from unexpected char...
Insurance Company Earnings Calls—A Useful Resource for Your Toolbox
The quarterly earnings calls of publicly traded health insurance companies can provide insights into...
Report Provides (Some) Insight on Network Adequacy as New Regulations Promise More
A new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) analyzes the relative adequacy of provi...
Tax Filing Preparation: FAQs in the Navigator Resource Guide
It’s tax time, so consumers are figuring out how to report their health insurance coverage as they...
IRS Issues Guidance on Overlapping Medicaid and Marketplace Coverage
At last, the Internal Revenue Service has released guidance about what to do when a consumer has ove...
Not a Pretty Picture for Obamacare CO-OPs: 2015 Financial Losses Spike
The latest financial filings with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners show that 2015...
A Roadmap For Getting Enrollment Right for Immigrant Families
The Affordable Care Act brought the promise of affordable coverage to many lawfully present immigran...
Commonwealth Fund Tool Demonstrates Effects of State Efforts to Expand Coverage and Improve Enrollment
The Commonwealth Fund has updated its interactive 50-state assessment of health system performance. ...
2016 Federal Poverty Levels Are Out; What Does This Mean for the Marketplace and Medicaid?
Last week, updated federal poverty levels were published in the federal register. Our colleague Tric...
A Look at Proposals for Improving Health Coverage Affordability
Welcome to 2016. With first votes being cast in the 2016 election cycle less than two weeks away and...
The Failure of the ACA’s Health CO-OPs: Lessons for Policymakers
The failure of 12 of the Affordable Care Act's CO-OP plans reveals much about the huge barriers faci...
Proposed Mergers among Major Health Insurers: Context and Perspectives
Health plan consolidation has been in the news lately. The Department of Justice is reviewing propos...
Doctors at Your Service: An Appraisal of Direct Patient Contracting Practices
Out of frustration with insurance companies, physicians are increasingly turning to direct patient c...