AHA supports additional action to stabilize Health Insurance Marketplaces

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ interim final rule changing the eligibility criteria for Health Insurance Marketplace special enrollment periods strikes “the appropriate balance between ensuring consumer access to coverage and protecting plans from potential SEP abuses,” AHA told the agency in comments submitted today. “Even with these changes, the AHA remains concerned that significant marketplace volatility will continue without additional action on the part of both the federal and state governments,” wrote Ashley Thompson, AHA senior vice president for public policy analysis and development. Specifically, AHA recommends fully funding the risk corridor program, continuing the reinsurance program through at least 2018, improving the risk-adjustment program, and exploring state-level solutions.