What does the Partial Government Shutdown Mean for the Affordable Care Act Marketplaces?

As the clock ticks, the likelihood increases that we are in the midst of the longest-ever shutdown of U.S. government agencies. Hundreds of thousands of federal workers are either furloughed or working without pay and critical government services are going unperformed. For the millions of Americans who rely on the federal government for their health care, many likely have […]

New Guidance Reinterprets Section 1332 Waivers

On October 22, the Trump Administration issued new guidance related to section 1332 state waivers of certain provisions of the Affordable Care Act.  The guidance eviscerates the existing statutory requirements for affordability, comprehensiveness and coverage that section 1332 waivers must satisfy to receive federal approval.  As a result, as other analysts have pointed out (here […]

Trump Administration Hands States Another Tool for Dismantling Preexisting Condition Protections

Last week, the Trump administration issued long-anticipated guidance regarding the Affordable Care Act’s Section 1332 “innovation waiver” program. The release rebrands and creatively reimagines the ACA program (they’re now “State Relief and Empowerment” waivers), breaking dramatically with past policy and, arguably, with the statute it purports to interpret. In the administration’s view, the ACA permits states to […]

Are you Ready for Open Enrollment? Updated Navigator Resource Guide will Help You Understand Policy Changes

On November 1, the sixth open enrollment period begins for marketplace coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). We at the Georgetown University Center on Health Insurance Reforms will soon re-launch our updated Navigator Resource Guide, made possible by the support of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The Guide provides information on recent policy changes, a list of enrollment […]

Lawsuit Threatens Affordable Care Act Preexisting Condition Protections But Impact Will Depend on Where You Live

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been polarizing, but its provisions designed to help people obtain coverage regardless of health status are consistently popular. Nevertheless, ACA opponents continue to target the law’s pre-existing condition protections. On September 5, a federal district court in Texas will hear arguments in a lawsuit filed by Republican governors and attorneys general in […]