This Week in Coronavirus: March 27th to April 3rd
Every Friday we’ll recap our new policy analysis, polling, and updates on coronavirus from the past week.
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Is Contact Tracing Getting Enough Attention in U.S. Coronavirus Response?
This blog examines the role of contact tracing in the U.S. coronavirus response. Contact tracing is going to be a crucial piece of the puzzle for eventually suppressing and containing the virus, allowing people to congregate in public, and letting people go back to work again. But policymakers have, so far, not focused much on scaling up contact tracing capabilities. Capabilities needed include resources and trained staff for traditional contact tracing efforts, which can be supplemented with technological approaches through mobile phones and apps.
New KFF State Survey Data Provide a Benchmark for Measuring State Responses to COVID-19
Our 18th annual 50-state survey of Medicaid and CHIP eligibility, enrollment, renewal, and cost sharing policies provides data on policies in place as of January 2020 and serves as a benchmark against which we can measure state actions to respond to COVID-19 and the economic crisis.
Private Health Coverage of COVID-19: Key Facts and Issues
New federal legislation will require most private health plans to cover testing for the coronavirus with no cost sharing. Some states have adopted similar requirements for insurers they regulate, and many private insurance companies will voluntarily expand coverage for testing. However, some private coverage will not be subject to these requirements. To date, fewer changes have been adopted or considered with respect to treatment for complications from the disease. This brief reviews current coverage standards for private health plans and how these may change in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Implications of CMS’s New “Healthy Adult Opportunity” Demonstrations for Medicaid
On January 30, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released guidance inviting states to apply for new Section 1115 demonstrations known as the “Healthy Adult Opportunity” (HAO). These demonstrations would permit states “extensive flexibility” to use Medicaid funds to cover Affordable Care Act (ACA) expansion adults and other nonelderly adults covered at state option who do not qualify on the basis of disability, without being bound by many federal standards related to Medicaid eligibility, benefits, delivery systems, and program oversight. In exchange, states would agree to a limit on federal financing in the form of a per capita or aggregate cap. States that opt for the aggregate cap and meet performance standards could access a portion of federal savings if actual spending is under the cap. This issue brief explains the key elements of the HAO guidance and considers the implications of the new demonstrations.
Analysis: 4.7 Million Uninsured People Nationally Could Get a No-Premium Bronze Plan in the ACA Marketplace,Though Deductibles Would be High
As the Affordable Care Act’s open enrollment period nears an end in most areas this week, a new KFF analysis finds that 4.7 million currently uninsured people could get a bronze-level plan for 2020 and pay nothing in premiums after factoring in tax credits, though the deductibles would be high.…
How Many of the Uninsured Can Purchase a Marketplace Plan for Free in 2020?
This analysis looks at how many of the remaining uninsured are eligible for premium subsidies that are large enough to cover the entire cost of a bronze plan, which is the minimum level of coverage available on the Marketplaces. It estimates 28% of uninsured individuals who could shop on the ACA Marketplace, or 4.7 million people nationwide, are eligible to purchase a bronze plan with $0 premiums after subsidies in 2020.
Affordable Care Act Premiums Are Falling in Many Areas of the U.S. in 2020, But Changes Vary Widely By County and Type of Plan, County-Level Analysis Shows
Although premiums for Affordable Care Act Marketplace benchmark silver plans are decreasing on average across the U.S. in 2020, changes vary widely by geographic location and plan type, including premium increases in a number of counties and plans, according to a new KFF analysis of county-level data. The analysis of…
Medicaid and HIV
This fact sheet provides an overview of the role of Medicaid for people with HIV, including trends and characteristics of beneficiaries, spending, services and other issues.
Web Briefing for Media: 2019 Employer Health Benefits Survey
The Kaiser Family Foundation held a reporters-only web briefing on Wednesday, Sept. 25 to release the 2019 benchmark Employer Health Benefits Survey. This 21st annual survey provides a detailed look at the current state of employer-based coverage and trends in private health insurance for both large and small firms. Key…