Manatt’s Joel Ario, a managing director with Manatt Health, was quoted by Bloomberg in an article that discussed the history of short-term medical plans similar to those promoted in a recent executive order. According to the publication, these plans have a long history of customer disputes over pre-existing conditions and denied claims.
The niche market for short-term plans includes people who are turning 27 and coming off a parent’s plan, as well as people whose income is too high to qualify for Affordable Care Act subsidies but who don’t make enough to afford a high-deductible plan. Ario explained that short-term plans have a role, as long as they are truly short term and aren’t pitched as an alternative to major medical coverage.
“Most insurance regulators would tell you that these short-term plans tend to be sold in ways that unwary consumers are often surprised by, and suffer from,” said Ario.
Read the article here.