Marketplace
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Healthcare.gov Changing Approach to Special Enrollment Periods, May be Bumpy Road for Consumers
This was originally posted on the CHIRblog. Lost your job? Moving to a new area? Having a baby? Make sure you have documentation of these life events if you want health insurance through healthcare.gov. Recently announced, the administration will now require verifying documents from consumers who enroll or change their plans using a special enrollment…
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A Roadmap For Getting Enrollment Right for Immigrant Families
The Affordable Care Act brought the promise of affordable coverage to many lawfully present immigrants who are ineligible for Medicaid and CHIP due to longstanding immigrant eligibility restrictions. But, despite the overarching goal of increasing coverage for immigrant families through the health insurance marketplace, many continue to face challenges when applying for coverage on healthcare.gov.…
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Getting Enrollment Right for Immigrant Families
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has yielded impressive progress in reducing the ranks of the uninsured, with more than 12 million people covered by the health insurance marketplaces alone. However, meeting the goal of enrolling the remaining seven million people who are eligible for marketplace coverage but are still uninsured— even after the third open…
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SHADAC Report Echoes Good News on Uninsured Rate for Children
The State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC) published its annual report “State Level Trends in Children’s Health Insurance Coverage” and it is an excellent state resource on children’s health coverage rates. Similar to Georgetown’s annual report on children’s health insurance, SHADAC reports on state-by-state coverage rates for children and provides additional data on children’s…
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States Innovation Waivers under the ACA: A Closer Look at the Updated Federal Guidance and State Proposals
By Kevin Lucia, Justin Giovannelli, Sean Miskell and Ashley Williams. Originally posted on the CHIRblog. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) established a framework—including now-familiar elements like insurance marketplaces and premium tax credits—to expand access to affordable, comprehensive health insurance coverage. However, the law also gives states a chance to realize these goals using alternative solutions.…
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Commonwealth Fund Tool Demonstrates Effects of State Efforts to Expand Coverage and Improve Enrollment
By Sean Miskell Comparing outcomes across states provides an opportunity to consider how state-specific approaches to administering their health programs provide coverage to their residents and help them stay enrolled. Say Ahhh! readers certainly know that we like our 50-state tables here at CCF. The Commonwealth Fund has updated its interactive tool that allows users…
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Administration’s Budget Proposal Would Make Medicaid Expansion an Even Better Deal for Wisconsin and Other States
By Jon Peacock and Sashi Gregory, Wisconsin Council on Children and Families The proposed budget released this week by President Obama would make the expansion of Medicaid an even better deal for states like Wisconsin that have not yet taken up the option. If Wisconsin expanded BadgerCare (Wisconsin’s Medicaid program) eligibility in January 2017, the…
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1095B Forms May Cause Problems for Enrollees Who Transition from Marketplace to Medicaid Coverage
It’s tax time, and there is more to be said about the many issues that swirl around reconciliation of premium tax credits and accurate assessment of the penalty for going without health insurance. But there is one issue in particular that I am worried about for consumers who were enrolled in a Marketplace plan with…
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2016 Federal Poverty Levels Are Out; What Does This Mean for the Marketplace and Medicaid?
Last week, the 2016 federal poverty levels (FPL) were published in the federal register. How does this impact consumers applying for coverage through the Marketplace, Medicaid or CHIP? Let’s start with eligibility for Marketplace subsidies. For 2016 calendar year coverage, regardless of when someone applies or enrolls, eligibility is based on the 2015 FPL levels.…
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“Healthy Students” Initiative Seeks to Help Children Achieve Better Health & Academic Success
Health care coverage helps children show up for school ready to learn and provides parents with the peace of mind of knowing they can afford to get their children the care they need to succeed. Sadly, many of America’s children are going without affordable coverage even though they are eligible for Medicaid or CHIP but…
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Medicaid and CHIP Eligibility, Enrollment, Renewal, and Cost-Sharing Policies as of January 2016: Findings from a 50-State Survey
Executive Summary January 2016 marks the end of the second full year of implementation of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) key coverage provisions. This 14th annual 50-state survey of Medicaid and CHIP eligibility, enrollment, renewal, and cost-sharing policies provides a point-in-time snapshot of policies as of January 2016 and identifies changes in policies that occurred…
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With gains in health coverage, Latino children also gain more equitable opportunities.
By Steven Lopez, Health Policy Project, NCLR and Sonya Scwhartz, Georgetown University Center for Children and Families Our new report with National Council of La Raza finds that the uninsured rate for Hispanic kids hit a historic low and the coverage gap between Hispanic kids and their peers narrowed considerably in 2014, the year the Affordable Care…
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Historic Gains in Health Coverage for Hispanic Children in the Affordable Care Act’s First Year
The Affordable Care Act has dramatically increased the pace at which the uninsured rate is falling for Hispanic children. Yet Hispanic children are more likely to be uninsured than other children, making them vulnerable to going without health care and leaving their families exposed to financial risk. Given the high rates of uninsurance among Hispanic children, policymakers,…
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Children’s Health Coverage in Arizona: How Are Children Doing Without KidsCare?
Arizona, with its large number of uninsured residents, was primed to make major progress in 2014 with the full implementation of the Affordable Care Act. With the adoption of the Medicaid expansion, the state did see coverage improvements that mirrored national trends. Yet the state’s decision to dismantle KidsCare meant some Arizona children likely fell…
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Awakening the Force of Two-Generations’ (Children and their Parents) Coverage, Access and Affordability: Historic Gains Worth Celebrating in 2016
By Liane Wong, Dr.P.H. The David and Lucile Packard Foundation While there’s been an incredible amount of buzz around the release of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” this December, a less heralded moment in history was made at the end of 2015. But it’s history worth celebrating for our nation’s families and children, and one…
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Permanent 90/10 Rule Will Help States Continue Efforts to Modernize IT Systems
Although final publication of the 90/10 rule – providing generous, enhanced federal funding for Medicaid eligibility and enrollment systems – doesn’t quite bring the surprise of opening an unexpected holiday gift, it is still gives us many reasons to celebrate. If CMS had allowed the enhanced funding to expire as initially planned, states would have…
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No QHPs Comparable to CHIP, Says (Delayed) HHS Certification
Like many others that watch child health policy closely, we have been anxiously awaiting release of the months-overdue Congressionally-mandated study comparing CHIP with coverage children receive through qualified health plans (QHPs) in the marketplaces. Released just before Thanksgiving, the HHS certification summary reinforces what growing evidence has indicated: No QHPs were found comparable to CHIP. Not…
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Children’s Health Coverage: On the road to 100 percent?
by Ben Kerman, Atlantic Philanthropies The 2015 open enrollment period offers an opportunity to build on tremendous progress in bringing health coverage to more children and their families. An analysis of recent census data by Georgetown Center on Children and Families confirms that many states are making headway. Twenty five states achieved statistically significant decreases…
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A Tune-Up on Eligibility Rules and Application Process for Families with Immigrants
With the third open enrollment period firmly underway, assisters are racing to get eligible people covered, including many families with one or more immigrant member whom are often among the most complicated cases assisters see. Since nearly half of all uninsured children in America live in families with at least one immigrant member, enrolling families with…
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CMS Proposes Expanded Role for Navigators
The federal agency responsible for administering the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance marketplaces, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), has released new proposed rules to govern health insurance companies and the marketplaces beginning in 2017. The rules cover a wide range of subjects, from the regulation of premium rates, to benefit design and…