Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Number Of Employers That Only Offer High-Deductible Plans Projected To Drop Again Next Year
Modern Healthcare: Fewer Employers Offering High-Deductible Plans As Only Option
Fewer large, self-insured employers will offer a high-deductible health plan as the only employee insurance option next year, opting instead to give employees more choice when it comes to health coverage. For the second straight year, the percentage of large companies offering only a high-deductible health plan with an attached savings account is projected to decrease to a quarter of employers in 2020, down from 30% in 2019 and 39% in 2018, according to the National Business Group on Health's annual survey of employers' healthcare strategies and plan designs. (Livingston, 8/13)
Kaiser Health News: As States Strive To Stabilize Insurance Marketplaces, Insurers Return
California’s ACA exchange is not the only one benefiting from the renewed interest of insurance companies. Other states are expected to see more insurers enter or re-enter their marketplaces next year. That’s a critical signal, experts said, that the state-based marketplaces, which cover about 11 million people nationally, are becoming more robust and less risky for insurers — despite ongoing political and legal battles over the ACA. “It’s taken longer than expected, due in part to the political rancor, but things seem poised to go well for next year,” said Katherine Hempstead, a senior policy adviser at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “The ACA market is becoming a better place for insurers and consumers.” (Findlay, 8/14)
