Manatt Health Senior Advisor Tara Straw wrote an article for Health Affairs Forefont summarizing the provisions of the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) final rule to update Plan Year 2024 standards for health insurance issuers and Exchanges under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including updated operational standards and Advance Premium Tax Credit (APTC) policies.
In the article, Straw explained how the final payment rule approves Exchange policies designed to increase enrollment, reduce administrative burden, promote health equity, and preserve program integrity. Among the provisions, Straw explained that the final rule will help people enroll in Exchange coverage after losing Medicaid as the continuous coverage requirement ends by giving State Exchanges the option to extend a longer special enrollment period to people losing coverage. Other provisions will allow more low-income people to enroll and will reduce administrative barriers that have been shown to have a disproportionate impact on Black applicants.
Straw continued by explaining several additional new policies, including those related to eligibility appeals, re-enrollment hierarchies, user fees, among others.
Read the complete Health Affairs Forefront article here.