1332 State Innovation Waivers: Getting off the Ground
The State Network 1332 Waivers Affinity Group, hosted by Manatt Health Solutions, continued with a presentation on the process of applying for a 1332 waiver, as well as a discussion on the potential and limitations of these waivers for states relying on the federal marketplace. Previous installments of this webinar series included presentations on the basics of the waiver process and information on statutory guardrails, as well as a deeper analysis of specific examples of what can be waived through this process.
Consumer Organization Directory for State Health Insurance Regulators
State action to prevent discriminatory benefit designs has been prompted, in part, by vital input from consumer advocacy organizations. Recognizing the important role that they can occupy in this process, the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms sought to gather a directory of these organizations. Georgetown gathered those organizations willing to be made available to states as resources to insurance regulators in need of assistance with identifying discriminatory benefit designs or for other regulatory tasks that require expertise related to a certain disease group or consumer concern.
Updated: Department of Insurance Consumer Services ACA Toolkit
In order to ensure that Consumer Services Divisions within state insurance regulatory agencies are equipped with the necessary resources to assist consumers experiencing insurance problems, the State Health Reform Assistance Network (State Network) team at the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute has developed a toolkit intended as a guide for consumer service representatives (CSRs).
Webinar: Advancing Delivery and Payment Reform in Managed Care Provider Networks
State health care purchasers are increasingly shifting toward value-based purchasing (VBP) strategies that reward providers for value or outcomes as a means of improving care, improving health and reducing overall costs. This webinar examines how states are currently advancing payment reform in their managed care provider networks by moving away from fee-for-service (FFS) and identifies key considerations for states interested in implementing VBP strategies in this environment. Representatives from Arizona and Tennessee share ground-level experiences in adopting VBP strategies in their Medicaid managed care programs.
The Impact of Medicaid Expansion on Uncompensated Care Costs: Early Results and Policy Implications for States
Since implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the 30 states that have expanded Medicaid have enrolled more than 10 million people in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program and the collective rate of uninsured individuals in these states has fallen from 18 percent to less than 11 percent. Recent research by Manatt Health Solutions looked at the fiscal implications of expansion and found that, in addition to coverage gains, expansion states experienced significant budget savings and revenue gains. This issue brief, the third in this series prepared by Manatt Health Solutions, examines early data on expansion-related decreases in uncompensated care costs and related state budget implications.
1332 State Innovation Waivers: What Can Be Waived?
The State Network 1332 Waivers Affinity Group continued with a webinar presentation by the team at Manatt Health Solutions. The initial webinar for this affinity group focused on the basics of the waiver process, as well as information on statutory guardrails and what can and cannot be waived. This most recent webinar investigates waiver possibilities more deeply, with more information on specific examples of what can be waived through this process.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Plan Choice Challenge: Winning Tools and Considerations for States
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s “Plan Choice Challenge” was a recent competition facilitated by Health 2.0 to spur the development of innovative technology applications that better support consumers as they shop for and purchase health insurance. The State Network and the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) recently hosted a webinar featuring background on the challenge from Health 2.0, an overview of the winning apps, and insights on what states should consider as they explore plan selection tools.
Enhancing Broker Engagement: New Strategies for Marketplaces to Expand Enrollment
Health insurance brokers can play a unique role in helping all forms of marketplaces to reach out to uninsured households and assist residents with new enrollments, as well as coverage renewals. Recently, several marketplaces implemented pilot programs intended to leverage the resources of agencies that are particularly interested in building their direct enrollment business under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The success of these initiatives is demonstrated by these marketplaces’ plans to expand their efforts for the upcoming open enrollment period.
Regulation of Student Health Plans Under Federal and State Law: An Overview
In March of 2012, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a regulation defining student health plans as individual health insurance under federal law. As a result, they are now subject to the same consumer protections afforded to all those covered by individual health insurance set forth in the Public Health Service Act, as amended by the Affordable Care Act. This issue brief, prepared by the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute, examines student health plans, which cover over 1 million students, and investigates the interplay between federal and state regulation with regard to these plans.
State Network Annual Meeting Presentations and Materials
The State Network hosted its Annual Meeting in New Orleans, LA on April 29 – May 1, 2015, bringing together state officials and technical experts to provide technical assistance and discuss lessons learned on continuing implementation of the coverage provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Annual Meeting included peer-to-peer sharing between stakeholders from exchanges, Medicaid agencies, departments of insurance, and governors’ offices throughout the topic specific breakouts on key ACA implementation issues.