The GAO reports an increase in choice of plans both on and off Marketplaces; Hawaii submits the first 1332 waiver application, with a focus on substituting the employer mandate and SHOP provisions with pre-existing State...more
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
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
In this week’s highlights, new proposed guidance from the feds would allow default renewals to lower cost plans and bring enhanced transparency to Qualified Health Plan rate increases; open Enrollment hits its stride –...more
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
Over the past several days, the second open enrollment period through the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) health insurance exchanges began; Republican lawmakers, now with majorities in both the House and the Senate, explored...more
In This Issue: - Smoother Open Enrollment Sets Stage for Shift in Congressional Focus - Implementation of the Affordable Care Act - Other Federal Regulatory Initiatives - Congressional Initiatives ...more
Health insurance exchanges (commonly called the MarketPlace or the Exchanges) are a complex and highly debated part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). With the looming January 1, 2014, deadline to open the marketplace for...more
Final regulations required for October 1, 2013 open enrollment are largely unchanged from the proposed rule. On August 30, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the Department of Health and Human...more
On June 14, 2013, HHS released a proposed rule containing many provisions aimed at oversight of federally-facilitated exchanges (FFEs), state health insurance exchanges (State Exchanges), qualified health plan (QHP) issuers,...more
Clearing up the Rumors around Health Reform Delays: What Really Happened, What Won’t and Steps Employers and Insurers Can Take Now - Rumors are flying in health policy circles that the Obama Administration might delay...more
The Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS") recently announced that full implementation of the SHOP component of the state-based health insurance exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act (the "ACA") run in full or...more
On March 11, 2013, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a proposed rule that would amend an earlier final rule related to health insurance exchanges and, more specifically, the Small Business Health...more