David Williams – who has been blogging for 11 years now – hosted the Health Wonk Review this week, with an excellent “Tales of the Trump” edition. There are plenty of great articles, so be sure to check it out. Here are a couple of my favorites this week: At healthinsurance.org, Rob Cullen explains how… Read more about Tales of the Trump
Archives for 2016
Commission cuts aren’t the same in states with state-run exchanges
EDIT, March 29, 2016: In addition to having state-run exchanges, there’s another factor involved here, which is much more likely to be the correct explanation. California, Colorado, Connecticut, and Kentucky are the four states that have taken regulatory action to prevent health insurance carriers from cutting commissions. Although my initial hypothesis wasn’t bad, direct action… Read more about Commission cuts aren’t the same in states with state-run exchanges
Healthcare Reform: The Path Forward
Welcome to the Health Wonk Review! It’s been nearly six years since the ACA was signed into law. And although most aspects of the law have now been implemented, the debate over its merits have not let up. In this election year, healthcare reform continues to be a hot topic, even dividing Democrats in terms… Read more about Healthcare Reform: The Path Forward
Money Changes Everything (and the Broncos won!) Edition of the HWR
At medicareresources.org, Steve Anderson did an outstanding job with this week’s Money Changes Everything edition of the Health Wonk Review (although I think we can all agree that it’s actually the “Broncos Won the Super Bowl!!” edition?). There are a ton of great reads from some great health wonks. Here are some of my favorites:… Read more about Money Changes Everything (and the Broncos won!) Edition of the HWR
Should we eliminate the penalty exemption for a short gap in coverage?
Over the last several weeks, much has been said about the need to tighten up enforcement of the ACA’s special enrollment period eligibility. And CMS has said they will conduct audits this year to ensure that people enrolling through Healthcare.gov for the remainder of this year have a valid qualifying event. There is concern that people… Read more about Should we eliminate the penalty exemption for a short gap in coverage?
Senate Bill 2 and Connect for Health Colorado’s Administrative Fee
Last month, Colorado Senator Kevin Lundberg (R, Berthoud) introduced Senate Bill 2. In a nutshell, the bill calls out Connect for Health Colorado’s administrative fee as a violation of TABOR, since the fee is technically paid by people who aren’t enrolled through the exchange, could be considered a tax, and wasn’t voted upon by Colorado residents. Connect… Read more about Senate Bill 2 and Connect for Health Colorado’s Administrative Fee
The HWR is ten!
Happy tenth birthday to the Health Wonk Review! We started writing about healthcare reform and related issues here on Colorado Health Insurance Insider in the summer of 2006, and quickly discovered the Health Wonk Review – which was in its infancy at that point. For nearly a decade, it’s been an excellent source of new ideas… Read more about The HWR is ten!
If you’re facing the subsidy cliff, enroll through Connect for Health Colorado
The Canon City Daily Record published a story this week highlighting how expensive health insurance is in the Colorado mountains, and how few carriers offer coverage in the mountains. Despite the fact that the Division of Insurance combined some rating areas to alleviate the problem ahead of the 2015 open enrollment period, rates for 2016… Read more about If you’re facing the subsidy cliff, enroll through Connect for Health Colorado
Health policy insight to kick off 2016
Hank Stern did an excellent job with the first 2016 edition of the Health Wonk Review. Be sure to check it out if you’re looking for some great thinking on health policy. Here are some of my favorites in this edition: Six health care trends to watch in 2016. Excellent Health Affairs article from Susan DeVore… Read more about Health policy insight to kick off 2016
Would ColoradoCare be an adverse selection magnet for people moving to Colorado?
Colorado will certainly be a state to watch in 2016. Not only is Colorado up for grabs in the presidential election, it’s also the only state in the country – so far – where voters will be asked to decide whether the state should switch to a single payer healthcare system, dubbed ColoradoCare. I explained… Read more about Would ColoradoCare be an adverse selection magnet for people moving to Colorado?
Connect for Health Colorado and non-resident brokers
At today’s Connect for Health Colorado board meeting, there was some discussion over the issue of whether or not Colorado’s exchange should work with out-of-state web brokers. Here’s the background on the issue, and I want to clarify my position in case there was any confusion. I’ve been a local broker in Colorado for 14… Read more about Connect for Health Colorado and non-resident brokers