ObamaCare News Archive

The Associated Press and consulting firm Avalere Health have found that health insurance premiums under the Affordable Care Act seem to be stabilizing.

The Senate GOP introduced a bill to ensure coverage for Patients with pre-existing conditions. However, the bill doesn’t actually ensure coverage for pre-existing conditions.

Trump signed an order expanding short term coverage, but both red and blue states are pushing back due to the projected effects of expanding short term coverage on the broader marketplace.

The Trump administration is expanding short term health plans for 2019. The plans will be renewable for up to 36 months (like COBRA). The benefit is healthy Americans could pay less. However, costs are likely to be shifted to those on more robust plans.

The House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act’s 2.3% excise tax on medical devices. The measure will now go to the senate where it needs 60 votes to pass.

After freezing risk adjustment payments earlier this month, CMS has issued a final rule saying they will continue risk adjustment payments to insurances under the Affordable Care Act.

HHS has altered or removed language about sex discrimination on the Civil Rights section of HHS.Gov. Specifically, a page about Section 1557 of the ACA (the non-discrimination provision) was changed.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) has been in talks with the Trump administration about restarting risk adjustment payments to insurers after CMS suddenly cut them. However, the stance seems to be that this might be accomplished via a bill in Congress.

The Trump administration announced that it will cut grants for marketplace navigators (nonprofit organizations that help people sign up for health coverage under the Affordable Care Act). The total grant reduction for these assisters under Trump has been about 80%.

Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin cut dental and vision coverage for over 500,000 Medicaid recipients after a Judge halted a Medicaid overhaul previously approved by the Trump administration in January.

The Department of Labor has published final rules on Association Health Plans. The rule change will likely result in less healthy Americans on existing plans, thus raising the costs of existing plans, but will as a trade-off likely result in more Americans covered overall.

S.2372 – VA MISSION Act of 2018, which passed through both the House and Senate with bipartisan support, was signed into law on June 6th, 2018. The legislation amends,  expands, and unifies existing Veterans Choice Programs. Unlike the previous Veterans Choice Program, the new community care program requires the congressional appropriations committees to provide designated…

Virginia will expand Medicaid to all adults under the Affordable Care Act now that the Virginia legislature has passed the necessary legislation. The expansion is estimated to cover up to 400,000 residents.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA or ObamaCare) contained calorie count rules (which require business to display calorie counts of food). These rules go into effect today.

North Carolina is working on expanding Medicaid, but conservatives have so far blocked the efforts despite the expansion proposal including work requirements (a provision favored by the GOP). It is estimated that 624,000 residents would become eligible for coverage under the expansion plan, however for that to happen the bill needs to make it out of state…

The Congressional Review Act (CRA) allows Congress to undo certain rules not officially submitted with a simple majority. This includes some ACA related guidance.

A proposed rule released in January by the Department of Labor (DOL) would allow small businesses and the self-employed would be able to join together in “association health plan.” Alex Acosta, a DOL official from the Trump administration, said they hope to move forward on this rule by the summer.

Just a friendly reminder, the tax deadline for 2018 in April 17th. Make sure to file all your healthcare related taxes, including the ACA related tax forms before tax day. If you can’t file in time, make sure to file an extension and make a reasonable payment.

U.S. tax payers who live in counties with one or less insurer offering 2018 health plans will be able to apply for a hardship exemption from the mandate to get coverage or pay a fee.

CMS’ final report on coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) shows that approximately 11.8 million consumers enrolled in the health insurance marketplace.