The bottom line is that this funding was intended to go towards reducing health insurance premiums for ACA exchange enrollees via Covered California as supplemental subsidies to be added on top of federal ACA tax credits...but the passage of the American Rescue Plan and the subsequent Inflation Reduction Act kind of made that moot, since the federal subsidies were made more generous than what the state subsidies would have been anyway.
As a result, Gov. Newsom decided that the extra revenue should go into the general state fund, while Democrats on the state legislature wanted to redirect it to eliminate deductibles and other types of cost sharing for ACA enrollees instead. This led to an impasse for the past several months:
As I wrote about back in March and updated in May, New York's implementation of the ACA's Basic Health Plan provision (Section 1331 of the law) is called the Essential Plan. It currently serves over 1.1 million New Yorkers, or over 5x as many residents as ACA exchange plans do.
Under the ACA, most states have expanded Medicaid to people with income up to 138 percent of the poverty level. But people with incomes very close to the Medicaid eligibility cutoff frequently experience changes in income that result in switching from Medicaid to ACA’s qualified health plans (QHPs) and back. This “churning” creates fluctuating healthcare costs and premiums, and increased administrative work for the insureds, the QHP carriers and Medicaid programs.
The out-of-pocket differences between Medicaid and QHPs are significant, even for people with incomes just above the Medicaid eligibility threshold who qualify for cost-sharing subsidies.
Governor Kathy Hochul today encouraged eligible New Yorkers to renew their health insurance coverage as insurance renewal deadlines rapidly approach. The Governor also issued a public service announcement to get the message out to New Yorkers.
These free, in-person events will take place in Bridgeport, East Hartford, Middletown and Torrington
HARTFORD, Conn. (June 27, 2023) — Access Health CT (AHCT) today announced it will host four free, in-person enrollment fairs in July and August to help HUSKY Health enrollees who have been affected by recent legislation. The events will take place in Bridgeport, East Hartford, Middletown and Torrington. HUSKY Health is Connecticut’s Medicaid program.
Medicaid Unwinding is a term the federal government is using to describe the process of resuming reviewing households for Medicaid eligibility after a three-year hiatus during the Public Health Emergency. The eligibility redetermination process resumed April 1.
Connecticut residents that remain eligible for HUSKY Health will likely be automatically reenrolled; those that need to take action will receive mail with instructions.
(LANSING, MICH) The Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) is reminding consumers that they have the right to appeal a denial of a health insurance claim to DIFS after attempting resolution through the insurer’s appeal process. To assist Michiganders with these appeals, the state has launched a newly updated consumer website that offers more information and answers to frequently asked questions.
New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance Issues Guidance to Insurance Carriers to Ensure Nondiscriminatory Health Coverage to Transgender Individuals
Addresses obligation to follow laws against discrimination based on gender identity, gender expression or on the basis that an individual is a transgender person
TRENTON — Department of Banking and Insurance Acting Commissioner Justin Zimmerman today issued a bulletin providing guidance to insurance carriers concerning health coverage for transgender individuals to ensure all New Jersey residents have equal access to health coverage and health care.
The guidance follows Executive Order No. 326 signed by Governor Phil Murphy in April protecting gender-affirming health care in New Jersey.
State Agencies Work Together to Keep Nevadans Insured
Nevada Health Link, Nevada Medicaid and Division of Welfare and Supportive Services (DWSS) continue to engage Nevadans whose health coverage may be impacted by the Public Health Emergency ending
(CARSON CITY, Nev.) – Nevada Health Link, Nevada Medicaid and the Division of Welfare and Supportive Services (DWSS) are working together to ensure Nevadans enrolled on Medicaid are informed about the Medicaid renewal process that has resumed as a result of the Public Health Emergency (PHE) ending. The state agencies are working to keep Nevadans insured by encouraging them to fill out their redetermination packets in the mail and if they are no longer eligible for Medicaid, to seek affordable health insurance coverage through the state marketplace, Nevada Health Link.
"Work requirements" is as old a saw for Republican politicians as "selling insurance across state lines," and it's just as ineffective and counterproductive (as well as simply being cruel). This debate has been held numerous times before, and the upside of such requirements has been debunked repeatedly, but here he go again:
The summary table below provides an overview of the proposed average rate changes from 2023 in the individual health insurance market, as reported by the insurers.
These rate changes do not reflect the impact of federal premium tax credits that are available to eligible Minnesotans who purchase their coverage through MNsure.
It is important to note these are the initial rates proposed by the insurers and filed with the Departments. Rates are subject to review and approval by the Departments and the final approved rates may vary from these proposed rates for many reasons.
Additionally, the actual rate change a consumer will experience in 2024 can vary from the average – with factors such as specific plan, geographic rating area, age, and federal premium tax credits playing a major role.
