Morning Consult interviewed Manatt’s Joel Ario, a managing director with Manatt Health, for an article about how insurers are planning for the future of health law.
With Republicans pulling their healthcare bill from the floor last week, insurers are left with questions about requirements for cost-sharing reduction payments and the treatment of the individual mandate for 2018 plans and rates.
Prior to pulling the bill, House Republicans had previously sued the Obama administration for funding the CSR payments without an appropriation from Congress, and a federal judge sided with them. But now the Trump administration must decide whether to appeal that decision, and has asked for the case to remain on hold.
“If they don’t pay the CSRs and they don’t enforce the mandate, there will be less participation. There will be higher prices, and likely some places that won’t have qualified health plans available,” said Ario. “It will be a very disruptive scenario for people that are currently under coverage.”
Read the article here.