1332 State Innovation Waivers: Coordinating 1332 and 1115 Waivers, Part 2
The State Network 1332 Waivers Affinity Group continued in October with a new presentation from the team at Manatt Health Solutions. This ongoing series has included presentations providing an overview of the basics around these waivers, including statutory guardrails, discussions on what can and cannot be waived, and potential opportunities available to states through the waiver process, while this presentation focused more deeply on potential coordination between 1332 and 1115 waivers, including general guardrails and budget neutrality.
Health Insurance Literacy Memo and Resources
While millions of Americans have newly gained health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), there is evidence that coverage alone does not necessarily translate into access to health care. This memo, prepared by the State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC), provides background information on health insurance literacy, summarizes the research around current consumer knowledge, and offers recommendations for marketplaces on how to build on it. Additionally, the State Network has compiled a library of health insurance literacy materials developed by four marketplaces.
1332 State Innovation Waivers: Coordinating 1332 and 1115 Waivers, Part 1
The State Network 1332 Waivers Affinity Group continued with another presentation from the team at Manatt Health Solutions. Following prior presentations providing an overview of the basics around these waivers, including statutory guardrails, a discussion on what can and cannot be waived, and potential opportunities available to states through the waiver process, this presentation investigated more deeply the potential coordination between Section 1332 and Section 1115 waivers.
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).
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.
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.