State Materials , Templates & Toolkits | Oct 17, 2014

Terms and Definitions Used by States Reporting on Affordable Care Act (ACA) Enrollment

State Health Access Data Assistance Center and the State Health Exchange Leadership Network

During the initial open enrollment period under the Affordable Care Act, the federal government and states operating state-based exchanges conducted various types of reporting on key indicators of interest to policymakers and the public.  There was variation in the definitions employed by different states, and this is expected to continue into the future.  As the second open enrollment period nears, several states have expressed interest in better understanding how their counterparts are defining and using key terms in public reporting.  This resource, developed by the State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC) and the State Health Exchange Leadership Network represents a compendium of the terms and definitions most commonly used in the first open enrollment period, and is intended for use by states both for planning future reporting and for facilitating cross-state understanding and comparison.


Expert Perspectives

October 11, 2024

CMS Offers New Details on Account Transfer 2.0

The Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS) explained the transition to “Account Transfer 2.0” (AT 2.0) in a CMCS Informational Bulletin (CIB) released on October 10, 2024. The CIB indicates significant federal investment in improving the process of transferring consumer application information between state Medicaid and CHIP agencies and the Marketplace in the states using the federal platform. This expert perspective reviews the CIB and highlights opportunities for states to improve account transfer data under the CIB.

CMS Solicits Comments on Medicaid/CHIP Reporting Templates for Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity

On September 9, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a new collection of federal Medicaid and CHIP reporting templates designed to assist states in monitoring Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) compliance in Medicaid and CHIP. Informal public comment is requested by December 2, 2024. This expert perspective reviews the reporting templates to highlight considerations for states and support the formulation of comment submissions.

September 27, 2024

States Have New Flexibility to Add Adult Dental Care to Essential Health Benefits

On April 2, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services offered a new option for states to update their essential health benefits (EHB) benchmark plan to require coverage of routine adult dental benefits. While there are multiple drivers of inequities in oral health, a primary barrier to accessing dental services is the cost of care, a barrier that can be reduced with dental insurance. This expert perspective provides an overview of the newly available flexibility and discusses considerations for states weighing whether to add a requirement that plans subject to EHB cover routine adult dental care.