Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Short-Term Plan Enrollment Grew In 2019 Despite Excluding Many Preexisting Conditions
Modern Healthcare: Short-Term Plans Enrolled 3 Million People, House Committee Finds
Roughly three million people were enrolled in short-term health plans in 2019, the year after the Trump administration expanded access to the controversial plans that don't have to comply with the Affordable Care Act, an investigation found. The number of people enrolled in the plans grew by 600,000 in 2019 compared with the year before, showing that the administration's decision to extend the maximum duration of the plans from three months to up to a year has caused an increase in their availability, according to the yearlong investigation by the House Energy and Commerce Committee. (Livingston, 6/26)
In other news -
Modern Healthcare: Health Groups Want More Time Before Facing Info-Blocking Fines
Healthcare groups are pushing HHS' Office of Inspector General to build a period of enforcement discretion into its proposal to impose financial penalties on information blockers. Organizations will need time to ask questions and get clarification into regulations after a final rule is released, which will take longer than the standard 60-day period between when a rule is published and when it takes effect, they say. That's compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has required many healthcare groups to pivot attention and resources toward the outbreak and away from other priorities. (Cohen, 6/26)
