Many states aren't ready for looming health law changes
WASHINGTON — It's crunch time for the states.
The 2010 health law's biggest changes don't take effect until 2014, when states and insurers must be ready to begin signing up an estimated 32 million people in Medicaid and private insurance. But a successful rollout in two years hinges on crucial decisions that states must make — and take quick action on — this year.
It will be difficult for many states to meet the fast-approaching deadlines, and some may not make it, said Brett Graham, a managing director at Leavitt Partners, a consulting firm that's working with states on implementing the law.
HHS rules on health marketplaces give states flexibility
State flexibility takes center stage in proposed federal rules governing marketplaces where individuals and small businesses can shop for health insurance starting in 2014. The long-anticipated rules, released Monday, are less prescriptive than some consumer advocates desired, but they grant states' requests that they get broad leeway to design and regulate the marketplaces, called exchanges.
Time is short, and states are missing key pieces of guidance from the federal government on everything from what various insurance-exchange options will look like to which benefits must be included in health plans, Graham said. To make matters worse, states are competing for an inadequate number of information technology vendors to help them get started.
"It's a pressure cooker," Graham said. States are "in a position where they have to act with imperfect information."
One of the most pressing tasks for states this year has to do with creating the exchanges, through which individuals and small businesses can buy insurance starting in 2014.
On Jan. 1, 2013, the Department of Health and Human Services will certify which states will be ready to run exchanges on their own. To win certification, a state must enact laws to fund an exchange's operations. While the federal government is providing financial help up front to create exchanges, states will assume the cost once they're under way. HHS can issue conditional certifications for states that are making progress but need more time.
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The 2010 health law's biggest changes don't take effect until 2014, when states and insurers must be ready to begin signing up an estimated 32 million people in Medicaid and private insurance. But a successful rollout in two years hinges on crucial
By Marilyn Werber Serafini / Kaiser Health News The 2010 health law's biggest changes don't take effect until 2014, when states and insurers must be ready to begin signing up an estimated 32 million people in Medicaid and private insurance.
I see no reason why a dying man should not be allowed to name his most trusted and loved male partner as an heir, Health Care Proxy, or Executor of his living will. Isn't that what we all want? (and yeah, the same for gay women too!)
United States (KaiserHealth) – The health law's biggest changes don't take effect until 2014, when states and insurers must be ready to begin signing up an estimated 32 million people in Medicaid and private insurance. But a successful rollout in two
“They could be insurance companies or Wall Street banks or even foreign-owned corporations. We will not know because there's no disclosure. But this isn't just a threat to the Democrats: It's a threat to our democracy.” Messina said on the call this
Will Tennessee Health Insurance Rate Hikes Be A Thing Of The ...
State regulators are getting money to fight unreasonable Tennessee health insurance premium hikes. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced an Affordable Care Act grant in the amount of $3,979,002 to help the state in this battle. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius released a report called “Rate Review Works” to show how previous grants have already mitigated health insurance premium hikes. When rate hikes are publicizing, the bad publicity has had an effect.
While Sebelius says, "States continue to have the primary responsibility for reviewing insurance rates and these grants give them more resources to hold insurance companies accountable, the grants are just the most recent federal action to increase access to health insurance for Tennessee. Almost $250 million in grant money have been distributed to different states to facilitate health insurance rate reviews.
Tennessee Health Insurance Changes Follow Health Care Reform
As of September 1, 2011, health care reform requires Tennessee health insurance companies that plan to increase individual and small group health insurance premiums by more that 10 percent to submit a request. If the rate increase is deemed to be unreasonable, the insurance company will need to publicly justify it. Federal authorities hope that this will improve health insurance accountability and lead to significantly lower costs for individuals, families and small business owners who buy coverage through the individual marketplace.
This May, Governor Haslam signed a bill into a law that expands the TN Department of Insurance's scope of review and gave the Department an approval authority regarding proposed rate increases on individual and small group policies. Currently, the department is working on regulations regarding its new approval authority.
As of July 1, 2011, all individual and small group Tennessee health insurance rates needed to be filed in advance for this approval from the commissioner. The department is exploring how to incorporate the Tennessee's All Payer Claims Database in order to enhance the rate review process.