Increased plan choice on HealthCare.gov is linked to lower premium growth; Arizona seeks changes to Medicaid expansion; and California and New York release detailed Marketplace and Medicaid enrollment reports....more
8/5/2015
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Exemptions ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Insurance Exchanges ,
Health Savings Accounts ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Costs ,
Healthcare.gov ,
Medicaid ,
Medicaid Expansion ,
Medicare ,
Open Enrollment ,
Public Health Insurance Marketplace ,
State Health Insurance Exchanges
CMS offers a special enrollment period for HealthCare.gov enrollees whose incomes were miscalculated due to system error; California Marketplace announces two new insurers; and Connecticut’s budget reduces eligibility levels...more
7/29/2015
/ CCIIO ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
DSRIP ,
Enrollment ,
Fast Track Process ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Healthcare.gov ,
IRS ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Public Health Insurance Marketplace ,
State Budgets ,
Tax Credits ,
Waivers
In quick succession, governors in Alaska and Utah announce Medicaid expansions this week; Iowa is transitioning its expansion away from the Marketplace to Medicaid managed care, for now; and, HHS extends its exception to...more
7/22/2015
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Burwell v Hobby Lobby ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Contraceptive Coverage Mandate ,
Cost Allocation ,
Department of Agriculture ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Eligibility ,
Employer Mandates ,
Enrollment ,
GAO ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare.gov ,
Hospitals ,
Medicaid ,
Medicaid Expansion ,
Medicare ,
OMB ,
Physicians ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Public Health Insurance Marketplace ,
Qualified Health Plans ,
SCOTUS ,
Tribal Governments
Montana’s Medicaid expansion waiver seeks monthly premiums and a “third party administrator”; Rhode Island’s Medicaid working group recommends pursuing a DSRIP waiver; and Utah’s Medicaid expansion discussions are put on hold...more
Topping the news, last week's King v. Burwell ruling preserved subsidies for the 6.7 million people receiving them through the federal marketplace.
In other news, President Obama pledged renewed efforts to work with...more
7/1/2015
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Chevron Deference ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Insurance Exchanges ,
King v Burwell ,
Medicaid ,
Medicaid Expansion ,
Public Health Insurance Marketplace ,
SCOTUS ,
Standard of Review ,
State Health Insurance Exchanges
This week...no clear consensus has emerged among congressional Republicans on how to manage potential King v. Burwell fallout; California will expand Medicaid to undocumented children; and New York is poised to become the...more
6/24/2015
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Cost-Sharing ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Health Insurance ,
Insurance Industry ,
Medi-Cal ,
Medicaid ,
Pregnancy ,
Public Health Insurance Marketplace ,
Reinsurance ,
Undocumented Immigrants
With the King v. Burwell ruling expected by the end of the month, Congressional Republicans continue to offer contingency plans in the event of a ruling for the plaintiffs; and the Mississippi Insurance Commissioner proposes...more
6/17/2015
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Insurance Exchanges ,
Healthcare.gov ,
Insurance Commissioners ,
King v Burwell ,
Medicaid ,
Mitigation ,
Obama Administration ,
Penalties ,
Pending Legislation ,
Public Health Insurance Marketplace ,
SCOTUS ,
State Health Insurance Exchanges ,
Subsidies
CMS proposes a new rule to modernize Medicaid and CHIP managed care; the Florida saga continues with CMS proposing to extend—and reduce—LIP funding; and California's Marketplace approves a co-pay cap on specialty drugs....more
Washington and Iowa report surges in insurer participation in Marketplaces for 2016; Maine considers legislation to maintain premium subsidies regardless of King v. Burwell.
KING V. BURWELL ACTIVITY:
Maine:...more
Latest numbers show dramatic post-ACA coverage gains; in California, an increase in dental-related ER visits follows cuts to Medicaid dental benefits; and the Massachusetts governor requests to maintain its definition of...more
This week Montana became the 30th state to expand Medicaid, and the battle over Medicaid expansion and uncompensated care reached a breaking point in Florida. Meanwhile, as the King v Burwell decision looms, Congress and...more
5/6/2015
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Catholic Church ,
Contraceptive Coverage Mandate ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Insurance Exchanges ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Hospitals ,
King v Burwell ,
Medicaid ,
Medicaid Expansion ,
Medicaid Reform ,
Public Health Insurance Marketplace ,
SCOTUS
CMS releases new redetermination regulations and links uncompensated care funds to expanding Medicaid, and New York becomes the second state to launch the Basic Health Program.
...more
This week, CMS proposes continued 90% funding for Medicaid eligibility and enrollment system development. Montana is on the verge of becoming the 29th state (plus D.C.) to expand Medicaid eligibility, and Florida Governor...more
4/22/2015
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Federal Grants ,
Governor Scott ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Reform ,
King v Burwell ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
Medicaid Expansion ,
Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization (MACRA) ,
Physician SGR Formula ,
Public Health Insurance Marketplace
FEDERAL NEWS:
More than 8 in 10 Federal Marketplace Enrollees Receive Tax Credits -
According to data released by CMS, 7.7 million consumers, or 87 percent of those on the Federally-facilitated Marketplace with...more
Wrapping up the 2015 enrollment period, Healthcare.gov and State-based Marketplaces in seven states have announced special enrollment periods (SEPs) for people who were uninsured in 2014 and discover they owe a “shared...more
Although the official February 15th enrollment deadline has now passed, the 2015 open enrollment period isn’t over for the Federally-facilitated Marketplace (FFM) and many State-based Marketplaces (SBMs).While the FFM...more
HHS ramps up for the final week of open enrollment. Families buying into CHIP in Pennsylvania are granted tax relief, and though Medicaid expansion efforts seem to have hit a wall in Tennessee and Wyoming, Arkansas assures...more
The President’s budget reveals the healthcare agenda for his Administration’s penultimate year. Medicaid expansion proposals advance in Arkansas and Wyoming; California’s Marketplace reports 9 out of every 10 enrollees remain...more
This week, the IRS announces relief for some taxpayers who received excess advanced premium tax credits; Indiana and Arkansas make major announcements on Medicaid expansion and Iowa’s Governor announces a shift towards...more
1/28/2015
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) ,
Congressional Budget Office ,
Drug Testing ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Insurance Exchanges ,
Healthcare Reform ,
IRS ,
Managed Care Contracts ,
Medicaid ,
Medicaid Expansion ,
Medicare ,
Reimbursements ,
SCOTUS ,
Tax Credits
This week, leadership changes at CMS continue, Montana’s Governor introduces Medicaid expansion legislation, and the California Marketplace allows new health plan entrants into the individual and SHOP Marketplaces for the...more
This week’s highlights include movement in states’ Marketplace and Medicaid leadership positions; Idaho takes a hard look at Medicaid expansion, and federal officials help Marketplace enrollees prepare for the 2014 tax...more
Enrollment and coverage expansion tops the new this week. Federal officials announced 6.5 million people have enrolled through the Federally-facilitated Marketplace and released the first in a monthly series of detailed...more
This week, a federal Issuer Bulletin describes how issuers in the Federally Facilitated Marketplace will identify their existing enrollees who are switching plans for 2015 coverage. The Exchange Board in New Mexico proposes a...more
12/4/2014
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Enrollment ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Insurance Exchanges ,
IRS ,
Marketplace Notice ,
Medicaid ,
Medicaid Expansion ,
SHOP Program ,
Subsidies
With the conclusion of the midterm elections last week and open enrollment just around the corner, this week’s news highlights both renewed pledges from the opposition and a flurry of implementation activity in the states....more
11/21/2014
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Employer Mandates ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Insurance Exchanges ,
Healthcare.gov ,
IRS ,
King v Burwell ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid Expansion ,
Minimum Essential Coverage ,
SCOTUS ,
Subsidies
With the 2015 Open Enrollment Period (OEP) officially launched as of November 15, this week’s news highlights Marketplaces’ preparation for and tracking of outreach and enrollment – including 100,000 applications submitted on...more