CMS

Original story: 6/29/23:

I haven't written about #ShortAssPlans ("Short-Term, Limited Duration") healthcare policies since back in January, when it was announced that the Biden Administration would be announcing new regulations on them sometime in April 2023. Obviously that time has come and gone, but it looks like the Office of Management & Budget (OMB) is finally ready for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to roll the new rule out:

via the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS):

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Office of the Actuary released projections of National Health Expenditures (NHE) and health insurance enrollment for the years 2022-2031. The report contains expected impacts from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), including that people with Medicare prescription drug coverage (Part D) are projected to experience lower out-of-pocket spending on prescription drugs for 2024 and beyond as several provisions from the law begin to take effect.

via the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS):

In February 2023, 93,373,794 individuals were enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP.

  • 86,174,094 individuals were enrolled in Medicaid in January 2023, an increase of 291,095 individuals from January 2023.
  • 7,199,700 individuals were enrolled in CHIP in February 2023, an increase of 111,838 individuals from January 2023.
  • Since February 2020, enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP has increased by 22,723,554 individuals (32.2%).
    • Medicaid enrollment has increased by 22,369,004 individuals (35.1%).
    • CHIP enrollment has increased by 354,550 individuals (5.2%).

The Medicaid enrollment increases are likely driven by COVID-19 and the continuous enrollment condition in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).

via Amy Lotven of Inside Health Policy:

CMS will beef up its outreach strategy and scale up a pilot program that connected navigators to specific consumers who are not eligible for Medicaid but could enroll in an Affordable Care Act plan through healthcare.gov to help ensure people who lose benefits during the ‘unwinding’ maintain their coverage, according to a slide-deck from a recent webinar.

As part of the effort, healthcare.gov will send those consumers additional reminder letters about enrolling in ACA coverage, with the first batch slated to go out in mid-May, and the assisters will contact those customers shortly afterward.

HHS has estimated that about 2.7 million of the 15 million or so Medicaid beneficiaries expected to lose coverage during the redetermination may be eligible for subsidized coverage through the marketplaces.

via the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS):

In January 2023, 93,008,246 individuals were enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP.

  • 85,915,795 individuals were enrolled in Medicaid in January 2023, an increase of 629,200 individuals from December 2022.
  • 7,092,451 individuals were enrolled in CHIP in January 2023, an increase of 30,891 individuals from December 2022.
  • Since February 2020, enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP has increased by 22,358,006 individuals (31.6%).
    • Medicaid enrollment has increased by 22,110,705 individuals (34.7%).
    • CHIP enrollment has increased by 247,301 individuals (3.6%).

The Medicaid enrollment increases are likely driven by COVID-19 and the continuous enrollment condition in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).

Via the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services:

CMS marked another important maternal health milestone by approving Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) postpartum coverage expansion in Rhode Island, an opportunity made possible by the American Rescue Plan. With this approval, 32 states and D.C. have extended postpartum Medicaid/CHIP coverage to a full year.

They include links to the approval letters for both Medicaid and CHIP, but the Medicaid one is oddly both extremely brief ("We received your request; it has been approved") and wonky at the same time, while not being in an easy-to-copy text format.

Here's the CHIP letter, however:

Dear Ms. Sousa:

 

The Affordable Care Act includes a long list of codified instructions about what's required under the law. However, like any major piece of legislation, many of the specific details are left up to the agency responsible for implementing the law.

While the PPACA is itself a lengthy document, it would have to be several times longer yet in order to cover every conceivable detail involved in operating the ACA exchanges, Medicaid expansion and so forth. The major provisions of the ACA fall under the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), and within that, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS)

Every year, CMS issues a long, wonky document called the Notice of Benefit & Payment Parameters (NBPP) for the Affordable Care Act. This is basically a list of proposed tweaks to some of the specifics of how the ACA is actually implemented for the following year.

Arizona

Via the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services:

Arizona became the latest state to extend postpartum coverage for individuals enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, following CMS’ approval of the state’s postpartum coverage extension state plan amendments (SPAs). The opportunity to extend this coverage was made possible by the American Rescue Plan, and this approval marks 31 states and D.C. that have extended postpartum Medicaid/CHIP coverage to a full year.

I have no idea why the administration hasn't put out a formal standalone press release about this...they've done so for every other state to my knowledge (including Oklahoma just two weeks ago), but whatever; it's still good news!

via the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS):

In December 2022, 92,340,585 individuals were enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP.

  • 85,280,085 individuals were enrolled in Medicaid in December 2022, an increase of 425,110
  • 7,060,500 individuals were enrolled in CHIP in December 2022, an increase of 87,296 individuals from November 2022.
  • Since February 2020, enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP has increased by 21,690,345 individuals (30.7%).
    • Medicaid enrollment has increased by 21,474,995 individuals (33.7%).
    • CHIP enrollment has increased by 215,350 individuals (3.1%).

The Medicaid enrollment increases are likely driven by COVID-19 and the continuous enrollment condition in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).

In December 2022, 2,360,820 applications for Medicaid and CHIP were submitted directly to states.

Arizona

Arizona Senate Bill 1292 was introduced by Democratic state Representative Rosanna Gabaldon in February. Here's the most relevant portionf of the legislative text:

Title 20, chapter 1, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section 20-123, to read:

20-123. Health care insurers; requirements; prohibitions; definitions

A. Notwithstanding any other law, every health care insurer that offers an individual health care plan, short-term limited duration insurance or a small employer group health care plan in this state:

1. Shall:

(a) Ensure that all products sold cover essential health care benefits.

(b) Limit cost sharing for the coverage of essential health care benefits, including deductibles, coinsurance and copayments.

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