Health Law’s Medicaid Expansion, Employer Coverage Requirements Drawing Expert Analysis
At a meeting this week, some state Medicaid directors expressed concern that their programs will not be able to handle the scheduled 2014 surge in enrollment because of challenges like outdated technology and the uncertainty of what will happen with the Supreme Court and November elections. Meanwhile, a committee of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners will offer recommendations on how to close a potential loophole in the law's employer coverage requirements.
CQ HealthBeat: 2014 Medicaid Expansion A Challenge, Say State Directors
With a year and a half to go before Medicaid is supposed to be expanded to cover an additional 16 million people under the health care law, on Thursday Medicaid directors said they are worried that they will not be ready to handle the surge in enrollment. Most states face budget constraints that make it hard for them to expand enrollment in a phased-in way in preparation of the huge surge in the program in 2014 under the law. They have outdated technology that they must decide whether to replace or try to build on. And they face huge uncertainty about whether the expansion will actually take place or be derailed by a Supreme Court decision expected next month or a change in administrations after the November elections (Adams, 5/31).
Politico Pro: NAIC Subgroup To Examine Potential Loophole
A committee of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners will weigh recommendations for closing a potential loophole in the health care reform law's employer coverage requirements in a conference call scheduled for next Wednesday. The NAIC's Self-Insurance (B) Subgroup will look at whether some small employers could buy generous stop-loss insurance policies and choose to self-insure. That would allow them to exit the small-group health insurance market and avoid many of the rules that apply to small-business health plans. The Obama administration is considering imposing national rules to prevent this (Feder, 5/31).
