Charles Gaba's blog

via Nevada Health Link:

  • Medicaid recipients deemed ineligible for coverage may be eligible for financial assistance and are encouraged to contact Nevada Health Link to avoid a lapse in health coverage

CARSON CITY, Nev. – As the redetermination process associated with the unwinding of the Public Health Emergency continues, Nevada Health Link, Nevada’s health insurance marketplace, is continuing to work diligently to streamline the enrollment process for individuals and households whose increased income no longer qualifies them for Medicaid coverage.

via New York State of Health:

  • 2023-24 Enacted Budget Invests in Health Equity by Adopting Key Evidence-Based Interventions to Better Care for New York Parents and Newborns

ALBANY, N.Y. (August 24, 2023) – The New York State Department of Health announced several key initiatives aimed at improving maternal and newborn health. Enacted as part of the 2023-24 New York State Budget, the state is committing to multiple Medicaid investments that will expand access to prenatal and postnatal care and support better birth outcomes. This announcement is released on the heels of the State’s adoption of the federal option to extend Medicaid and Child Health Plus (CHPlus) postpartum coverage from 60 days to a full year following pregnancy.

via the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) (note: this press release actually came out on August 16th):

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 was signed into law on August 16, 2022. The new law provides meaningful financial relief for millions of people with Medicare by improving access to affordable treatments and strengthening the Medicare Program both now and in the long run. The law makes improvements to Medicare by expanding benefits, lowering drug costs, keeping prescription drug premiums stable, and improving the strength of the Medicare program. The law also extends enhanced financial help to purchase HealthCare.gov and state-based Marketplace plans and expands access to Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended vaccines for adults with Medicaid coverage. 

Specifically, the Inflation Reduction Act:

via the New Jersey Dept. of Banking & Insurance:

NJ Department of Banking and Insurance Announces Federal Approval of Section 1332 State Innovation Waiver Extension to Continue Reinsurance Program

Reinsurance Program Improves Health Insurance Affordability

TRENTON – The New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance today announced the state received federal approval of a Section 1332 State Innovation Waiver Extension to continue a reinsurance program that lowers health insurance premiums in the individual market by 15 percent. The reinsurance program increases certainty and stability in New Jersey’s individual health insurance market.

via MNsure:

ST. PAUL, Minn.—The Minnesota Insulin Safety Net Program was created in 2020 to help Minnesotans who face difficulty affording their insulin. During the 2023 legislative session, the Minnesota Legislature made important changes to the program that will improve access to this life-saving drug for undocumented Minnesotans who are struggling to afford their insulin.

Starting August 1, 2023, Minnesotans can use an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) as an accepted form of identification for program eligibility. This change provides a pathway to access the program for those who do not have a valid Minnesota identification card, driver’s license or permit, or tribal-issued identification. For minors under the age of 18 who need help affording insulin, a parent or legal guardian can use an ITIN as an accepted form of identification.

via the New Jersey Dept. of Banking & Insurance:

  • Open Enrollment Period at Get Covered New Jersey Begins November 1, 2023
  • Historic Levels of Financial Help Remain Available for the Upcoming Year 

TRENTON — The New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance today announced it is accepting applications for community organizations to serve as Navigators to assist residents with health insurance enrollment for the upcoming Get Covered New Jersey Open Enrollment Period and throughout 2024. This year, the department is making available a total of $5 million in grant funding for Navigators in an effort to ensure enrollment assistance is available in the community for residents seeking coverage through Get Covered New Jersey, the state’s official health insurance marketplace.

Virginia

Last month the Centers for Medicaid & Medicaid Services (CMS) director of the Center for Consumer Information & Insurance Oversight (CCIIO...yeah, those names & acronyms just roll off the tongue, don't they?) informed the state of Georgia that they're gonna have to wait one more year before launching their own fully state-based ACA exchange (SBE) platform.

Georgia's insurance commissioner wasn't pleased about the delay, to say the least, but he agreed to bump the launch out another year even if he grumbled while doing so.

There were several reasons given for the 1-year delay, but many of them stemmed from the fact that Georgia was attempting to skip the "Federally-Facilitated" SBE phase which every other state which has made the transition to their own full state-based platform has undergone for at least one year.

Note: The first portion of this is a rehash of the explainer I first posted back in June, but it's necessary in order to understand the context of how ICHRA is growing.

Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements, or the unfortunate-sounding ICHRA for short, are a type of health insurance arrangements which were created via Trump administration-era regulations back in 2019.

Louise Norris, as always, offers the best explanation of how ICHRA's work:

via Connect for Health Colorado:

08/14/2023

  • So far, about 46 percent of these customers have picked a new plan*

DENVER— Friday Health Plans customers have about two and half weeks* to choose a new health insurance plan before their current health insurance coverage ends. Connect for Health Colorado, the state’s official health insurance marketplace, is urging Friday Health Plans customers to sign up for a new plan before the end of the month to avoid a gap in coverage.

*Note that this press release was issued 9 days ago, so CO Friday enrollees actually only have 8 days left.

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