Early this week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) posted a proposed rule that would overhaul Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchange plan regulations, including ending standardized coverage and broadening access to catastrophic plans.
The rule would repeal a 2023 requirement that federal exchanges and state-based...
A study published in Health Affairs Scholar examined ambulatory surgery center acquisitions by UnitedHealthcare and found that purchases were concentrated in counties where the insurer already held a large market share.
Over the past eight to 10 years, major insurers like UnitedHealthcare (UHC) have expanded aggressively into...National News
A federal judge intervened against the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to block part of a rule that significantly alters the enrollment period and eligibility of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) healthcare exchange, and premiums are still set to substantially increase as state insurance regulators begin to finalize next year's...White Papers, E books, Reports and more
A recent Urban Institute research report offers a vision for American healthcare policy. The report found The ACA has significantly reduced the uninsured population from over 45 million in 2014 to fewer than 27 million projected for 2025. The report proposes eight incremental reforms to enhance the ACA and control healthcare...Arizona News
Thousands of Arizonans who rely on discounted ACA Marketplace plans could face steep premium hikes next year if Congress allows enhanced federal subsidies to expire at the end of 2025.
Enhanced federal subsidies under the Affordable Care Act have significantly reduced premium costs and expanded eligibility for Marketplace coverage...
This week, Congressional Republicans continue the search for Medicaid tax cuts, this time by returning to reductions of the federal match and the implementation of a per capita spending cap to the negotiating table. It remains clear that Medicaid work requirements alone will be insufficient for total cuts, especially as plan utilization...
Key members of the U.S. Supreme Court appeared unlikely to overturn a key provision of the Affordable Care Act during a hearing on Monday. Plaintiffs argued that the requirements for preventative care coverage under the ACA are unconstitutional because the volunteer board that oversees recommendations on the services should be...
Arizona is one of several states at risk of cutting their Medicaid expansion enrollees should the Trump administration cut federal funding due to a trigger law that will end Medicaid expansion if federal funding drops. The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System counts nearly 650,000 members in its expansion population.
The other...
The Trump campaign made several promises for the future of U.S healthcare policy that the new administration may or may not be able to fulfill. From the personnel appointed to federal regulatory positions, to abortion to Medicaid, experts are weighing in on how to constrain the next president's ability to affect the...
Open Enrollment Period (OEP) on HealthCare.gov runs from November 1 to January 15. Consumers who select a plan by midnight December 15 (5 a.m. EST on December 16) can get full-year coverage that starts January 1, 2025. Consumers who select a plan after December 15, 2024, but before the deadline in January 2025, can have coverage that...National News
Medigap, the Medicare supplement insurance that helps cover Part A and Part B cost-sharing, may be due for some reforming in the near future as several aspects of the program are causing issues that lower regulatory infrastructure can't fix on their own.
As medical debt is a major concern for one in five older adults, the Medicare...National Reports & Surveys
A 2023 Affordability Survey reveals significant challenges Americans face with the appeals process for claim denials and billing errors.
Patients and their families are confused about their right to appeal and who to contact, and a high rate of successful appeals suggests potential flaws in the initial determination process. Sara...National News
The Republican Study Committee (RSC), of which most House Republicans are members, unveiled its budget proposal for fiscal year 2025 this week. The budget doubles down on the decade-and-a-half long campaign to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in addition to ending Medicare drug price negotiations, implementing block grants for...Arizona News
Last Wednesday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized a rule that will truncate the timeline for prior authorization processes to 72 hours for people who receive health coverage from insurers participating in Medicare Advantage, Medicaid managed care, or the Affordable Care Act exchange.
The CMS...National News
On December 19, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) rescinded a Trump era rule that granted flexibilities to small businesses in establishing large group association health plans (AHPs).
The rescinded rule provided the flexibility by modifying the definition of "employer" under federal law such that individuals like sole proprietors...
For the third year in a row, a record number of people have signed up for health insurance plans through the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) federal marketplace.
Federal officials estimate that more than 19 million people will enroll in 2024 coverage by the end of the enrollment period in January. According to the New York Times, already...
Arizona is one of several states expected to add a measure putting abortion access on the ballot in next year's election.
Governor Katie Hobbs threw her support behind the initiative this week by adding her signature to the petition for the measure to make it onto the ballot. The Arizona Abortion Access Act, brought by the Arizona for...National News
As plans on HealthCare.gov and state-based exchanges are selling fast and 2024 enrollment is on another record-breaking year, the Trump reiterated his opposition to the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
The former president and current Republican frontrunner relaunched his attack on the ACA on Saturday morning with a post on his social media...Top of The Day
On Wednesday, the Urban Institute published a report on federal anti-discrimination protections for people with disabilities in healthcare settings, workplaces and when applying for public benefits. Disabled people face greater barriers to access, service and equity than their able-bodied counterparts in many aspects of their...
Since 2013, navigators have helped Americans understand their health insurance options and facilitated their enrollment in health insurance coverage through the Federally-facilitated Marketplace.
The statewide award will support Arizona navigators who serve an important role in connecting communities to health coverage, including...
