NEW ACA MARKETPLACE PROPOSALS
The NDNRC wants to make sure that people with disabilities (PWDs) are aware of potential changes to their healthcare with the new administration taking office. The disability community utilizes Medicaid, and the ACA Marketplace plans at a higher rate than those without disabilities due to their unique needs.
By updating this newsletter with resources and educational pieces on where disability health policies stand, we hope to ensure that the disability community continues to have access to accessible and affordable healthcare coverage no matter what changes occur in the foreseeable future.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a “Marketplace Integrity and Affordability Proposed Rule,” directly affecting the millions of individuals who obtain healthcare coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which turns 15 on March 23. This law has allowed for essential health benefits and protections for those with pre-existing health conditions, with nearly 50 million people having enrolled in from 2014 to 2024. Comments for this rule are due in mid-April.
The CHIRblog discussed the lack of relevant solutions listed in the proposal and Health Affairs covered the main policies, especially those that people with disabilities should know:
- Shortening the Open Enrollment Period
- Getting rid of monthly special enrollment periods (SEP) for low-income populations
- Additional SEP verification requirements
- Repayment of past-due premiums
- No more coverage for DACA Recipients
- Premiums for auto-enrollments
- Limits on Essential Health Benefits
- Decreasing affordability
The Kaiser Family Foundation listed five facts about Medicaid on fraud, waste, abuse and improper payments as they relate to the current health policy landscape. Overall, fraud occurs in all health insurance programs, private or public, and is typically done by providers. These policies would decrease federal dollars and move the cost to the states while lowering coverage for enrollees. An extensive overview of Medicaid’s value and how it is paid for was written by the Commonwealth Fund.
The CHIRblog complied their webinar series on the “Corporate Transformation of Health Care,” which covered topics relating to the increase of privatization of health care, moving away from patient first approaches and heading towards increasing profits for these corporations.
KFF posted an issue brief on specific services that are covered by Medicaid in Assisted Living Facilities. These are services that are heavily used by people with disabilities and those who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid so that they are able to live in their own homes and stay in their community. Statistics from the National Center for Assisted Living show that Medicaid pays for daily services for nearly 200,000 people.
KFF released an overview of the current administration’s actions that have directly affected the LGBTQ+ community’s health outcomes. This resource is being constantly updated with additional developments.
The American Public Health Association (APHA) is calling for abstracts for the APHA 2025 Annual Meeting and Expo. The submission deadline is March 28, 2025: “APHA’s Disability section invites abstract submissions for socio-behavioral including health education and program intervention research, epidemiological, health systems, health law and policy, and social justice research related to disability and public health that represent people with all types of disabilities (e.g., cognitive, physical, mental, and sensory) across the lifespan. The section encourages abstracts that feature domestic and international perspectives. Case studies and demonstration projects that represent best practices and have been evaluated are also highly encouraged.”
Archives of our weekly updates are available on the NDNRC website.