Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), approved Medicaid section 1115 demonstration initiatives in Arizona that will help the state take aim at health-related social needs. Like recently approved demonstrations in Oregon and Massachusetts, Arizona’s demonstration will test innovative interventions that target critical drivers of health outcomes, including housing insecurity.
“Everyone deserves the chance to receive the care they need to live safe and healthy lives,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “We are proud to work with Arizona in this groundbreaking effort. We will continue doing all we can to strengthen Medicaid, and urge states to follow Arizona’s lead.”
Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, enrollees will have lower costs for insulin and free ACIP-recommended vaccines starting in 2023
People with Medicare should review their coverage and drug and health plan options through December 7, 2022 on Medicare.gov
Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing that Medicare Open Enrollment begins tomorrow — Saturday, October 15 — and will remain open through December 7, 2022. Medicare’s Open Enrollment period gives people with Medicare the opportunity to make changes to their health plan or prescription drug plan, pick a Medicare Advantage plan, or return to Original Medicare (also referred to as Medicare Part A and Part B). Medicare plans can change their offerings and costs every year, and individuals’ health needs can change from year-to-year, too. Now is the time for people with Medicare to review their coverage options and make a choice that best meets their health care needs.
Preview available 2023 health plans ahead of open enrollment
Shop new savings available to you in 2023 before open enrollment begins on Nov. 1
Washingtonians can start to shop, compare, and find new savings opportunities on Washington Healthplanfinder prior to the beginning of open enrollment. Now through Oct. 30, individuals and families can visit wahealthplanfinder.org to preview their 2023 plan options and sign up for a reminder email when open enrollment is open — Nov. 1, 2022, through Jan. 15, 2023.
“Plan preview allows Washingtonians added time to learn about the health plans and savings available to them prior having to make a final decision,” interim CEO Jim Crawford said. “This year, there are more savings available than ever before with the introduction of Cascade Care Savings.”
Certified Enrollment Assistors Available to Meet with Shoppers On Site
ALBANY, NY (October 20, 2022) – NY State of Health, the state’s official health plan Marketplace, today announced its continued partnership with Rite Aid to help New Yorkers find a health plan that fits their needs and budget. Certified Enrollment Assistors will be available at Rite Aid locations across the state to provide information about affordable coverage, answer questions and make enrollment appointments. Assistors will be available near pharmacies at select locations statewide on October 22, 2022, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Enrollment for 2022 coverage remains open for Medicaid, Essential Plan, Child Health Plus and Qualified Health Plans (QHP). New Yorkers can newly enroll (or renew current coverage) in a Qualified Health Plan for 2023 starting November 16, 2022.
This open enrollment season, be on the lookout for online scams targeting Minnesotans who need health insurance. MNsure’s open enrollment period runs from November 1, 2022, through January 15, 2023. Scammers take advantage of this opportunity to try to trick Minnesotans into purchasing products that do not provide comprehensive coverage
For example, if you search for MNsure online, you may see ads or websites that appear to be the official MNsure website but are not. Some of these sites collect your contact information and may bombard you with phone calls. Scammers also may claim they can find you a better plan for less money or threaten that your coverage will be discontinued if you don’t re-enroll.
Here are three tips to verify you’re working with MNsure and purchasing comprehensive health care coverage:
Access Health CT (AHCT) today announced Navigator partnerships with the Community Health Center Association of CT (CHCACT) at its Danbury, Norwich and Willimantic locations, Community Renewal Team (CRT) in Hartford, Greater Bridgeport Area Prevention Program (GBAPP) in Bridgeport and New Opportunities, Inc. in Waterbury. These partnerships increase the number of Navigator locations in the state and deepen AHCT’s reach into Connecticut communities where residents can get one-on-one health insurance enrollment help year-round.
“Our Navigator program is a critical part of our outreach, particularly to underserved communities,” said Chief Executive Officer of Access Health CT, James Michel. “It was important to us to expand this service, so all Connecticut residents can get the help they need to enroll in health insurance plans throughout the year. Qualifying life events that allow you to enroll in health insurance outside of the annual Open Enrollment period, like getting married or having a baby, can happen any time. We want residents to have somewhere to turn all year.”
Tennessee has posted their approved 2023 individual & small group market health insurance rate filings. For the most part they're fairly straightforward: The individual market is looking at average rate increases of around 8.5% (down a bit from the 9% average via preliminary filings), while the small group market averages around +3.0% overall.
The biggest news here is Bright Health is dropping out of Tennessee's markets. Bright's withdrawal will leave roughly 50,000 Tennessee residents to have to either manually pick a different plan from a different carrier or be automatically "mapped" to a similar plan to what they have now...via a different carrier.
West Virginia has by far the highest average unsubsidized premiums in the country (Wyoming and Alaska rank 2nd and 3rd). It also has the second smallest individual market in the U.S. (Alaska has the smallest), with just over 22,000 West Virginians enrolled in ACA policies statewide.
For 2023, they're looking at roughly a 5% rate hike for those who don't qualify for ACA subsidies. The good news is that, being West Virginia, the vast majority of those enrolled (95%) do qualify for financial help.
WV's ACA-compliant small group market is even smaller, just ~14,000 people; they're looking at roughly a 3.4% average rate hike next year.
10/18/2022 The Alabama Department of Insurance (ALDOI) has approved the final 2023 premium rates for the Affordable Care Act Individual Market in Alabama. The rates will be effective on January 1, 2023. The three carriers in the Alabama individual market are Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama (BCBS), UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company (UHC), and Celtic Insurance Company (CIC). In general, rates for BCBS decreased 0.3 percent, and rates for UHC increased 14.9 percent. CIC is new to the Affordable Care Act Individual Market in Alabama in 2023. The actual rates and the supporting material may be found by clicking on the links below.
Consumers with an insurance question may contact the Alabama Department of Insurance, Consumer Services Division, using the contact information below. The Department also maintains a Live Chat feature for consumers at our website at www.aldoi.gov. A representative will be happy to help answer your questions.
Hearing Aids: Hearing aids are so expensive that only 14% of the approximately 48 million Americans with hearing loss use them. On average, they cost more than $5,000 per pair, and those costs are often not covered by health insurance. A major driver of the expense is that consumers must get them from a doctor or a specialist, even though experts agree that medical evaluation is not necessary. Rather, this requirement serves only as red tape and a barrier to more companies selling hearing aids. The four largest hearing aid manufacturers now control 84% of the market.
In 2017, Congress passed a bipartisan proposal to allow hearing aids to be sold over the counter. However, the Trump Administration Food and Drug Administration failed to issue the necessary rules that would actually allow hearing aids to be sold over the counter, leaving millions of Americans without low-cost options.
