Who Will be the H&R Block and TurboTax for Health Insurance? June 3, 2011 Perspective There’s been quite a bit of focus lately insofar as these issues go, anyway on health insurance agents and brokers (sometimes known in the industry as “producers”). They are pushing legislation that has been introduced in Congress and is now being studied by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners that…
The Budget Trigger and Health Reform August 4, 2011 Perspective No doubt it will take some time to sort out how elements of the debt deal (formally “The Budget Control Act of 2011”) will all work. Delving into the details of how it affects subsidies in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to make insurance more affordable helps to illustrate how…
Insurance Brokers and the Medical Loss Ratio December 8, 2011 Perspective In a close vote, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) recently adopted a resolution urging Congress and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to exempt insurance broker and agent compensation from medical loss ratio (MLR) requirements or otherwise adjust the requirements to ease their effect. HHS last…
What is a Mini-Med Plan? July 5, 2011 Perspective One of the early insurance market changes in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) phases out caps that some insurance plans impose on the annual dollar amount of benefits they will cover. Plans issued or renewed after September 23, 2010 cannot have annual limits of less than $750,000, and the threshold…
In 73 Percent of Counties, Healthcare.Gov Enrollees Could Lower Their Silver Plan Premiums by Comparison Shopping November 18, 2015 News Release A new analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation finds that in 73 percent of counties served by Healthcare.gov, people enrolled in the lowest-cost silver plan this year could save money on premiums by switching to a different silver plan in 2016. In these counties, the silver plan with the lowest…
A Comparison of the Availability and Cost of Coverage for Workers in Small Firms and Large Firms: Update from the 2015 Employer Health Benefits Survey February 5, 2016 Issue Brief Small and large firms vary substantially on health insurance offer rates and costs. This brief expands on information presented in the 2015 Kaiser/HRET Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Benefits to look exclusively at differences in offer rates, plan costs, and cost sharing between small firms and large firms.
Insurer Competition, Monthly Premiums Could Be Affected in Some Markets if UnitedHealth Group Exits ACA Marketplaces April 18, 2016 News Release A withdrawal by UnitedHealth Group from the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces in 2017 could have a significant impact on insurer competition and premiums in some markets, though it would have a minimal effect on the average benchmark premium nationwide, according to a new analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation.…
Early Analysis of 14 Major Cities Finds Benchmark Silver Plan Premiums in ACA Marketplaces Estimated to Rise 10 Percent on Average in 2017 June 15, 2016 News Release A Kaiser Family Foundation analysis of Affordable Care Act proposed marketplace rates finds benchmark silver plan premiums are projected to increase 10 percent in 2017 on average across 14 major metropolitan areas. Based on proposed rate filings in 13 states plus the District of Columbia where complete information is currently…
Majorities Across Party Lines Support Investing More Money in Zika Research and Preventing the Virus’ Spread June 30, 2016 News Release Democrats More Favorable to ACA in June, Leading to 44% Unfavorable, 42% Favorable Overall Split Majorities of the public say the United States should invest more money in Zika research and in preventing its spread in this country, the latest Kaiser Health Tracking Poll finds. More than seven in 10…
CMS’s Denial of Proposed Changes to Medicaid Expansion in Ohio September 21, 2016 Fact Sheet This fact sheet discusses CMS’s denial of Ohio’s proposed changes to its existing Medicaid expansion . It also provides an overview of the proposed changes as included in the state’s Section 1115 demonstration waiver application.