Modern Healthcare Turns to Joel Ario for Two Health Reform Update Articles
"Reform Update: Obama Administration Doesn't Deliver Convincing Message that Healthcare.gov Will Be Fixed by Nov. 30" and "Reform Update: Direct Enrollment Could Become 'Plan B' for Healthcare.gov"
Modern Healthcare
November 22, 2013 - Modern Healthcare interviewed Manatt's Joel Ario, a managing director with Manatt Health Solutions, on what will happen if Healthcare.gov is not fixed by the end of November.
In "Reform Update: Obama Administration Doesn't Deliver Convincing Message that Healthcare.gov Will Be Fixed by Nov. 30," Modern Healthcare reports that it is key for the Obama administration to meet its goal of making Healthcare.gov run smoothly by November 30, but recently, the administration sent signals that it likely won't meet the target. Some industry insiders are talking about a Plan B of direct enrollment by insurers if the federal health exchange enrollment site is not working by the month's end.
Ario said the best Plan B would be for the administration to encourage consumers to sign up for subsidized exchange plan coverage directly with insurers rather than through the federal website.
In "Reform Update: Direct Enrollment Could Become 'Plan B' for Healthcare.gov," Modern Healthcare reports that individuals and families can now enroll for exchange health plans directly through insurers and still qualify for a federal premium subsidy. Direct enrollment is permitted in the 36 states served by the federal exchange, and it's up to each state-run exchange to decide for itself whether it will allow direct enrollment.
"It's the best Plan B if the federal government cannot get HealthCare.gov functional by the end of November," said Ario. "That can be the solution that allows a large volume of people to be enrolled."
Read "Reform Update: Obama Administration Doesn't Deliver Convincing Message that Healthcare.gov Will Be Fixed by Nov. 30" here.
Read "Reform Update: Direct Enrollment Could Become 'Plan B' for Healthcare.gov" here.