Webinars | Feb 13, 2015

Webinar: Overview of Medicaid Marketplace Premium Assistance Waiver Programs

Deborah Bachrach, Jocelyn Guyer, and Liz Osius, Manatt Health Solutions

As of January 27, 2015, two states have received approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to expand Medicaid through private market-based coverage. These premium assistance programs have paved the way for the non-expansion states who continue to discuss how they might expand their Medicaid programs. These new models offer viable alternatives for covering previously uninsured populations while addressing those states’ concerns about some of the budgetary, political, and market challenges associated with traditional Medicaid expansion.

During a webinar hosted by State Coverage Initiatives and the State Health Reform Assistance Network, Manatt Health Solutions provided an overview of Medicaid Marketplace Premium Assistance and outlined the authorization vehicles through which a state may establish a program. The presentation also detailed the federal requirements for and operational implications of implementation with respect to: eligibility for the program, benefits and network adequacy, premiums and cost-sharing, shopping and enrollment, and interagency cooperation. John Selig, the Director of the Arkansas Department of Human Services, also participated and offered Arkansas’ experience with implementation of their program.  The webinar slides can be found at the “download” button and a webinar recording can be found here.