ObamaCare News: Daily ObamaCare Updates

Open enrollment for 2019 health plans ends December 15, 2018 in most states. Make sure to re-enroll, pick a new plan, enroll in a plan, and/or verify your plan and cost assistance by then.

Enrollment numbers are down slightly for HealthCare.Gov coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare). However, this was expected given the rising costs and the mandate’s fee being reduced to zero.

Although Trump is President, you can still get health insurance with cost assistance under the Affordable Care Act each year during open enrollment. Open enrollment starts Nov 1 and ends Dec 15 in most states.

House Democrats, who won a majority in the midterms, plan to question the Trump administration’s decision not to defend the ACA in a Republican state AG backed lawsuit against the ACA.

Voters in Utah, Nebraska, and Idaho have voted to expand Medicaid. This could result in as many as 200,000 Americans without coverage getting covered.

Given the midterm elections, it looks like Medicaid will be expanded in Utah, Nebraska, and Idaho. Plus, with Dems taking the house the chances of an ACA repeal are slim for now. On top of that, Maine and Kansas elected governors who support Medicaid expansion.

Don’t forget to sign up for 2019 coverage during open enrollment season which starts November 1, 2018 and ends December 15th 2018 in most states.

Here is a list of states suing the federal government over ObamaCare. This lawsuit could result in many of the Affordable Care Act’s provisions, including pre-existing conditions protections, being illegal.

Rates on ObamaCare’s benchmark Silver plans could drop for the first time since the health insurance marketplace opened open back in 2014.

Although a 2017 Gallup poll showed a rise in the uninsured rate under Trump, 2017 data from the Census Bureau shows there has been no significant change in the uninsured rate since 2016. We don’t have data for 2018 yet.

Sign up for “TrumpCare” between November 1 and December 15, 2018 to get health coverage and cost assistance for 2019. Get covered at Healthcare.Gov.

The Individual Mandate’s fee has been reduced to $0 at a federal level starting in 2019. However, some states are implementing their own individual mandate starting in 2019.

Rates are actually expected to decline in some states for the first time in years in 2019. Below, we detail how much rates are expected to change on a state by state basis.

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%.