Amid Merger Talk, a Look at Health Insurers’ Medicare Business July 1, 2015 News Release With recent news about possible health insurance company mergers, Drew Altman looks beyond the impact on Wall Street to how mergers could affect Medicare beneficiaries in his latest column for The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank. All previous columns by Drew Altman are available.
Amid Merger Talk, a Look at Health Insurers’ Medicare Business July 1, 2015 Perspective With recent news about possible health insurance company mergers, Drew Altman looks beyond the impact on Wall Street to how mergers could affect Medicare beneficiaries in this column for The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank.
Medicare Advantage Enrollment Continues to Climb, but Financial Protections for Enrollees Are Eroding June 30, 2015 News Release Enrollment in Medicare Advantage continues to climb steadily as spending reductions enacted in the Affordable Care Act reduce historical overpayments to the private plans, according to a new analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation. But limits on out-of-pocket spending for Medicare-covered services are rising, providing less protection for enrollees with…
Medicare Advantage 2015 Spotlight: Enrollment Market Update June 30, 2015 Issue Brief This Data Spotlight reviews national and state-level enrollment trends as of March 2015 and examines variation in enrollment by plan type and firm. It analyzes the most recent data on premiums, out-of-pocket limits, Part D cost-sharing for drugs, and plans’ quality ratings for Medicare Advantage enrollees.
Renewals in Medicaid and CHIP: Implementation of Streamlined ACA Policies and the Potential Role of Managed Care Plans June 26, 2015 Issue Brief This brief reviews the new renewal requirements for Medicaid and CHIP that are designed to maintain continuity of coverage for eligible individuals. It provides an overview of state implementation of the new renewal policies and considers the potential role managed care plans can play in supporting renewals. Key findings include: some aspects of the simplified renewal policies have not yet been fully implemented due to a range of challenges; some states, including Washington and Rhode Island, have successfully implemented the new policies and achieved high retention rates with more than nine in ten enrollees successfully renewed; and, managed care plans can support renewals by reminding members to renew and providing direct assistance with the renewal process; however, plans identified challenges to supporting renewal.
Media Availability on the U.S. Supreme Court’s King v. Burwell Decision June 25, 2015 Event The Kaiser Family Foundation held a media-only conference call with key experts on the Affordable Care Act (ACA), state marketplaces and more to explain the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the King v. Burwell case and to answer questions about its implications. The petitioners in the case are challenging the legality of premium and cost-sharing subsidies for low- and middle-income people buying health plans in 34 states where the federal government rather than the state is operating an insurance marketplace established by the Affordable Care Act.
After King v. Burwell Ruling, Health Law Issues Involve Implementation June 25, 2015 News Release After today’s Supreme Court ruling upholding the Affordable Care Act’s federal subsidies, Drew Altman’s latest column in The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank explores what the decision means and what’s next for the health law. All previous columns by Drew Altman are available.
After King v. Burwell Ruling, Health Law Issues Involve Implementation June 25, 2015 Perspective With the Supreme Court ruling on King v. Burwell upholding the Affordable Care Act’s federal subsidies, Drew Altman’s column in The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank explores what the decision means and what’s next for the health law.
Early Analysis In Eleven States Finds Modest Increases For ACA Silver Plans June 24, 2015 News Release A Kaiser Family Foundation analysis of Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans in major metropolitan areas in 11 states where data are available, including the District of Columbia, finds that preliminary 2016 premiums for benchmark silver plans grew modestly, but increased more sharply this year than last year. The average increase for benchmark plans across the cities is 4.4 percent for 2016 compared with a 2 percent increase nationwide in 2015.
Analysis of 2016 Premium Changes and Insurer Participation in the Affordable Care Act’s Health Insurance Marketplaces June 24, 2015 Issue Brief This analysis provides an early look at premium changes for individuals in the health insurance marketplaces, created under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), in major cities in 10 states plus DC. Premium changes for the benchmark silver plans vary significantly across the sample cities. The benchmark rates will increase 4.4 percent on average in 2016 without accounting for tax credits, a relatively modest amount but greater than the average increase for 2015.