JAMA Forum: A To-Do List for the New CEO of the Federal Health Insurance Marketplace September 3, 2014 Perspective Larry Levitt’s July 2014 post at the JAMA Forum assesses early indications of how well the Affordable Care Act is working.
Connecting Consumers to Coverage: Lessons Learned from Assisters for Successful Outreach and Enrollment September 19, 2014 Issue Brief This brief highlights the experiences of Navigators and other Marketplace consumer assistance programs under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) in conducting outreach and providing enrollment assistance during the ACA’s first open enrollment period. It provides insight into the outreach and enrollment strategies the assisters developed and identifies the keys to successfully overcoming the challenges of the first year. These insights are based on findings from focus groups with assisters in four cities: Miami, Florida; Houston, Texas; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Cleveland, Ohio.
Survey of Health Insurance Marketplace Assister Programs July 15, 2014 Report This survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation of Navigators and other Marketplace consumer assistance programs under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) offers a nationwide analysis of the number and distribution of assisters and people they helped. The report examines the experience of programs in conducting outreach and enrollment assistance during the first open enrollment period. It also reviews the nature of help consumers needed applying for Medicaid or premium tax credits and understanding health insurance choices, and discusses key factors that impacted the effectiveness of Marketplace Assister Programs.
Medicaid Expansion Through Marketplace Premium Assistance September 17, 2013 Fact Sheet This fact sheet compares the two Medicaid premium assistance authorities (state plan option and demonstration waiver) and identifies key beneficiary protections in Medicaid expansion premium assistance programs.
Development of the Financial Alignment Demonstrations for Dual Eligible Beneficiaries: Perspectives from National and State Disability Stakeholders July 25, 2013 Issue Brief This issue brief provides an early snapshot into disability community perspectives on state design and implementation efforts related to the new financial alignment demonstrations for beneficiaries dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, with an emphasis on non-elderly beneficiaries and those who use long-term services and supports.
Medicaid Expansion through Premium Assistance: Key Issues for Beneficiaries in Arkansas’ Section 1115 Demonstration Waiver Proposal July 19, 2013 Issue Brief This issue brief provides background about Medicaid premium assistance in the individual health insurance market, summarizes major components of Arkansas’ Section 1115 demonstration waiver application to implement the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion through premium assistance, and considers key issues affecting beneficiaries.
Medical Debt Among People With Health Insurance January 7, 2014 Report This report examines the causes and contributors to medical debt, medical bankruptcy, and other difficulties with medical bills among people with insurance. Through in-depth interviews of nearly two-dozen people and quantitative analysis of national survey data, the authors of this report find that in-network and out-of-net-work cost sharing primarily contribute to medical debt among the insured.
The YouToons Get Ready for Obamacare: Health Insurance Changes Coming Your Way Under the Affordable Care Act July 17, 2013 Video In this animated video, the YouToons get ready for Obamacare and explore health insurance changes under the Affordable Care Act. This cartoon serves as a health reform tutorial for consumers and organizations.
Paying a Visit to the Doctor: Current Financial Protections for Medicare Patients When Receiving Physician Services April 7, 2014 News Release As the Congress continues to work on reforming Medicare payments for physician services, a new Kaiser Family Foundation brief examines key provisions in current law that help provide safeguards and financial protections for beneficiaries when they visit their doctor, and explains how potential changes could affect beneficiaries, providers, and the…
Testimony: Wellness Programs and Nondiscrimination Under Employer-Sponsored Group Health Plans May 8, 2013 Issue Brief This testimony by the Foundation’s Karen Pollitz before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission included background on wellness programs, wellness incentives and nondiscrimination since 1996, and questions and issues related to proposed regulations governing the design and application of wellness programs offered in conjunction with employer-sponsored group health plans.