Change In Auto-Enrollment Policy May Trap Millions Of Consumers Into Plans They Don’t Want
Under the Obama administration, consumers were auto-enrolled in their plans, but then sent a notice that they can and should shop around for better or cheaper coverage. This year, the auto-enrollment process won't happen until it's too late to make a change. Meanwhile, groups are launching outreach efforts as open enrollment season nears.
The Washington Post:
ACA Enrollment Schedule May Lock Millions Into Unwanted Health Plans
Millions of Americans with insurance through the Affordable Care Act could find themselves locked into health plans they do not want for the coming year because of the Trump administration’s schedule for the enrollment season that starts in less than two weeks. The complication arises when people who already have health plans under the law are automatically re-enrolled in the same plan. In the past, a few million consumers each year have been auto-enrolled and then were sent government notices encouraging them to check whether they could find better or more affordable coverage. (Goldstein, 10/20)
The Wall Street Journal:
Health Advocates Gear Up For Open Enrollment
Consumer groups and some state officials, facing new pressure to show the Affordable Care Act remains in place after President Donald Trump declared it dead, have begun launching urgent outreach programs to sign people up for health coverage during the coming open-enrollment period. The ACA’s fifth open-enrollment season, which this year runs Nov. 1 through Dec. 15, may be lackluster compared with previous years because the administration has cut the time period in half and cut about $116 million in funding for outreach and advertising. As a result, advocacy groups are mounting on-the-ground efforts aimed at telling consumers they can still get coverage and subsidies despite recent efforts to undo the law. (Armour and Hackman, 10/22)
Los Angeles Times:
Obamacare Enrollment Starts Nov. 1. Here's What You Need To Know
Choosing the right health insurance plan can be a cumbersome process, and this year’s political back-and-forth over Obamacare has made it seem even more confusing. For months, executive orders and congressional debates have swirled around the law, officially called the Affordable Care Act. President Donald Trump has declared the law “dead” — but it’s still in effect, and open enrollment for plans on the Obamacare exchange begins Nov. 1. (Schencker, 10/20)
Meanwhile, in the states —
Reuters:
Obamacare Whiplash Leaves States, Insurers With Dueling Price Plans
President Donald Trump's reversals in the past week on maintaining Obamacare subsidies to insurers are sowing new confusion over what kind of health insurance will be available to consumers, and at what price, when enrollment for 2018 begins in two weeks. (Humer, 10/20)
The Philadelphia Inquirer/Philly.com:
As Trump Undercuts Affordable Care Act, Democrats Go On Offense In Pa., N.J.
After years of absorbing attacks over the Affordable Care Act, its rocky roll-out and early flaws, Democrats are on the offensive. With Republicans now holding the White House and Congress, and President Trump taking steps to undercut the law, Democrats are pounding GOP incumbents over the results, particularly in the Philadelphia area. A potent example came earlier last week, when Pennsylvania and New Jersey regulators approved steep rate increases in the states’ insurance markets for individuals, a response, officials and insurers both said, to Trump’s decision to end roughly $7 billion in federal payments intended to hold down costs. (Tamari, 10/20)
Nashville Tennessean:
Nashville, Here Are Your Affordable Care Act Options
Cigna and Oscar Health are the only two insurance companies offering Affordable Care Act health plans in Nashville next year. While it might seem like options are limited, it’s worth bearing in mind that Nashville was at risk of having no carriers offering 2018 plans. Thanks in part to the leadership of government officials, Middle Tennessee is fortunate to have two, given the turmoil in healthcare today. (Tolbert, 10/22)
The Baltimore Sun:
Maryland Insurance Administration To Consider Insurance Rate Hikes After Trump Cuts Obamacare Subsidies
The Maryland Insurance Administration will hold a public hearing Monday to consider new premium rate hikes proposed by health insurance companies in response to the Trump Administration’s decision to eliminate subsidies that help low-income people pay out-of-pocket expenses. CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield and Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States have requested permission to further increase rates on individual plans sold under Obamacare before enrollment opens on Nov. 1. (McDaniels, 10/20)
Concord Monitor:
Alexander-Murray Bill Could Help N.H. Reinsurance Program
In September, the Commissioner of the New Hampshire Insurance Department, Roger Sevigny, sent the chairman of the U.S. Senate health committee, Lamar Alexander, a request for action. With premiums on New Hampshire’s individual insurance market predicted to rise amid a new swell of patients and rising treatment costs, Sevigny’s department was pursuing what they called a viable solution: a state-wide reinsurance program. ... This week, Alexander delivered. Included in the Tennessee Republican’s health care bill are changes to Section 1332, which would allow New Hampshire to use savings from the federal funds it usually receives for tax credits and insurance subsidies to instead be invested into the reinsurance program. (DeWitt, 10/20)
