Examining Upcoming Changes in Healthcare Coverage
In prior newsletters, we highlighted the comment period which was open for the 2027 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters (NBPP). The NBPP is the regulatory framework which CMS uses to operate the federally facilitated marketplace (healthcare.gov). AAHD did submit comments in conjunction with the Lakeshore Foundation raising concerns about some of the rules which were being proposed in the new NBPP. The Georgetown University Center on Health Insurance Reforms (CHIR) conducted an analysis of all the comments that were made on the NBPP and have been summarizing what was said by various stakeholder groups. These summaries have been released in a series of blog posts:
- Group 1: Health Insurers and Brokers
- Group 2: State Insurance Departments and Marketplaces
- Group 3: Consumer and Patient Advocates
- Group 4: Providers
In addition to the blog series, CHIR also released a fact sheet explaining the concerns around the NBPP. The changes found in the NBPP will affect the enrollment process this coming fall and potentially make it more difficult for people to get coverage. All this is happening while a new survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation indicates that 64% of those surveyed are worried about being able to afford health care emphasizing the importance of consumer outreach and assistance.
With the upcoming implementation of HR 1 and the Medicaid work reporting requirements, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities conducted a webinar last week to address how these new rules could potentially affect people who are applying for and/or renewing coverage. That webinar has been archived, and you can view the slides and recording. CBPP has also released a fact sheet that addresses FAQs around the work requirements and redeterminations.
A report from Rand addresses the impact that HR 1 will have on state Medicaid programs and the loss of revenue that states can expect to experience. Overall, the report indicates that state Medicaid programs will lose $665 billion in federal funds between now and 2034. The report also does a deep dive into how some states will be affected more significantly than others.
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