State Insurance Marketplaces
FEATURED ARTICLE
Individual Marketplace Enrollment Remains Stable in the Face of National Uncertainty
/in Policy Blogs Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, State Insurance Marketplaces /by NASHP StaffState-Run Marketplaces’ Enrollment Outpaces Federal Sign-ups New data show that overall plan selections in the 2018 open enrollment period in state-based marketplaces (SBMs), the state-based marketplaces that use the federal platform (SBM-FPs) and the federally facilitated marketplace (FFM), remained generally stable despite facing significant national uncertainty. The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) released […]
State Health Insurance Marketplace Enrollment (Plan Selections) 2017 and 2018
/in Policy Charts Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, State Insurance Marketplaces /by NASHP StaffPress Release: Individual Marketplace Enrollment Remains Stable in the Face of National Uncertainty Click here to view or download .pdf version of chart. [1] State-based marketplaces (SBM) design their enrollment websites, control outreach and marketing, and manage the health plans offered through the marketplace. This data came from publically available sources or directly from the […]
State-Based Marketplace Directors Ask Senate Leaders to Support a Reinsurance Program
/in Policy Blogs Eligibility and Enrollment, Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, State Insurance Marketplaces /by NASHP StaffExecutive directors of 10 state-based insurance marketplaces have asked leaders of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee to support Congressional efforts to stabilize Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance marketplaces through a reinsurance program that would spread the financial risk for high-risk individuals across insurance markets. The leaders wrote in a Jan. 30, 2018, […]
Congress Poised to Act on Insurance Reforms, with Major Repercussions for All States
/in Policy Blogs Eligibility and Enrollment, Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, State Insurance Marketplaces /by Christina CousartAs Congress barrels toward the end of the year, several bills are in play that will have major and almost immediate ramifications for health insurance markets. They include: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1) The Alexander-Murray insurance market stabilization bill The Nelson-Collins reinsurance program bill Temporary elimination of the health insurance tax (H.R. 4620) […]
Searching for New Insurance Options, States Consider Medicaid Buy-In and Other Strategies
/in Policy Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota Blogs Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Quality and Measurement, State Insurance Marketplaces /by Anita CardwellUncertainty about the future of health insurance options and concern about the ability of Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces to offer adequate competition and choice have spurred states to look for new coverage approaches. Among the innovative strategies states are proposing are allowing consumers to buy into state Medicaid programs and developing state-specific coverage options […]
What’s a State to Do? A New Series Helps States Navigate a Rapidly-Changing Federal Landscape
/in Policy Blogs CHIP, CHIP, Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Expansion, State Insurance Marketplaces /by NASHP WritersIntroduction by NASHP Executive Director Trish Riley In a period of change and uncertainty at the federal level, states are on the front line, searching for firm footing and clear direction as they responsibly steward their public programs, protect their consumers, and balance state budgets. When the federal government stopped funding cost sharing reductions (CSR) […]
States Face Critical Decisions If Proposed Insurance Regulations Prevail
/in Policy Blogs Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, State Insurance Marketplaces /by Christina CousartWith open enrollment for 2018 health insurance marketplaces underway, states and insurance companies are already pondering how to set rates and parameters for their health insurance products in 2019, especially in the wake of proposed US Department of Health and Human Services’ insurance regulations. As written, the new rules would require states to make a […]
Proposed Rules Give States Flexibility to Change Essential Health Benefits, and More
/in Policy Blogs Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Medicaid Managed Care, Quality and Measurement, State Insurance Marketplaces, Value-Based Purchasing /by Christina CousartThe US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently released proposed changes in its annual the rule that governs standards for issuers and the health insurance marketplaces. The annual notice is one of the most significant tools the Administration wields in shaping the health insurance markets and this proposed notice carries significant implications for […]
What States Need to Know About the Alexander-Murray Insurance Stabilization Bill
/in Policy Blogs Health Coverage and Access, State Insurance Marketplaces /by Christina CousartLast week, Sens. Lamar Alexander (TN) and Patty Murray (WA) released a bipartisan bill designed to bring short-term stability to the health insurance markets. The bill is co-sponsored by 22 senators — 11 Democrats, 11 Republicans, and one independent. While there are indications that Alexander and Murray secured the 60 votes needed for passage in […]
The Administration Ends CSR Subsidy Payments — What Comes Next?
/in Policy Blogs Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Medicaid Expansion, State Insurance Marketplaces /by Christina CousartOn Friday, Oct. 13, 2017,the Trump Administration announced it would no longer make cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments to insurers offering coverage on health insurance marketplaces. The announcement cited guidance from the US Department Justice that questioned the legality of the appropriation for these payments (for more Cost Sharing Reduction Debate: Why This Matters and How […]
For individuals living with complex, often chronic conditions, and their families, palliative care can provide relief from symptoms, improve satisfaction and outcomes, and help address critical mental and spiritual needs during difficult times. Now more than ever, there is growing recognition of the importance of palliative care services for individuals with serious illness, such as advance care planning, pain and symptom management, care coordination, and team-based, multi-disciplinary support. These services can help patients and families cope with the symptoms and stressors of disease, better anticipate and avoid crises, and reduce unnecessary and/or unwanted care. While this model is grounded in evidence that demonstrates improved quality of life, better outcomes, and reduced cost for patients, only a fraction of individuals who could benefit from palliative care receive it. 
Rhode Island Looks to Auto-Enrollment to Ease Transitions from Medicaid to Marketplace
/in Health Coverage and Access, Policy Rhode Island Blogs, Featured News Home State Insurance Marketplaces /by Gia Gould and Maureen Hensley-Quinn