Manatt Health Managing Director Joel Ario spoke with Modern Healthcare on the Biden administration’s plans to revise Obamacare marketplaces and the language around Section 1332 waivers in the market modernization proposed rule, which features a more explicit emphasis about improving health equity. The publication reported that state insurance commissioners, marketplace executives and consumer advocates have asked the Biden administration to allow for greater budget flexibility for states that want to expand coverage through their marketplaces because they are worried that states could pay the price if they lower marketplace premiums and too many people enroll in coverage. Ario explained that the state is at-risk if a reform at the state level increases the number of people that are covered. “They’ve clearly expressed an interest in covering everybody that’s eligible. So, if states can figure out how to do that at a cheaper cost, I think they’ll be supportive of that,” he said. However, Ario added that states need more clarity because they don’t want to be left holding the bag if they enroll more people that are already eligible for coverage.