You may have seen headlines recently about how the American Rescue Plan (HR1319) makes health insurance more affordable for people who buy their own coverage. As always, you can reach out to me if you have questions about your specific circumstances. But I wanted to summarize some general information: Section 9662 of the American Rescue… Read more about The American Rescue Plan and your Colorado health insurance
Affordable Care Act (ACA)
2021 HSA Limits
The IRS has released 2021 limits for High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs) and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). 2021 HSA Contribution Limits: Self-Only: $3,600 (up from $3,550 in 2020) Family: $7,200 (up from $7,100 in 2020) 2021 HDHP Deductible Minimum: Self-Only: $1,400 ($1,400 in 2020) Family: $2,800 ($2,800 in 2020) 2021 HDHP Out-of-Pocket Expense Maximum: Self-Only:… Read more about 2021 HSA Limits
States seeking to reduce their uninsured populations must beware a Catch-22
By David M. Anderson, Charles Gaba, Louise Norris and Andrew Sprung State policymakers have been prolific and creative in putting forward measures to strengthen their ACA marketplaces. Measures enacted since 2017 or in progress now include reinsurance programs, which reduced base premiums by an average of 20% in their first year in the first seven… Read more about States seeking to reduce their uninsured populations must beware a Catch-22
AHCA: The Aye or Nay? Edition of the Health Wonk Review
Seven years ago today, President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law, ushering in a host of reforms for the U.S. health care system. And today, House Republicans are planning to vote on the American Health Care Act (AHCA), which would repeal many of the ACA’s spending-related provisions and implement replacements for some aspects of… Read more about AHCA: The Aye or Nay? Edition of the Health Wonk Review
What do the proposed HHS regulations mean for Colorado’s individual market?
HHS Secretary Tom Price was confirmed by the Senate last week, and the agency wasted no time in drafting new proposed regulations under his leadership. The new regulations are intended to stabilize the individual and small group health insurance markets. The comment period is only three weeks (it closes on March 7, 2017), which is… Read more about What do the proposed HHS regulations mean for Colorado’s individual market?
Connect for Health Colorado and the OIG Audit Report
On December 27, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General (OIG) released an audit report (the full report is here) regarding Connect for Health Colorado’s use of federal start-up funding. This funding was provided for state-run exchanges to get their operations up and running in 2013 and 2014. To make a… Read more about Connect for Health Colorado and the OIG Audit Report
PEAK Issues
As of now, it appears that PEAK has various errors. If you’ve had coverage through PEAK in the past, submitting a financial determination for 2017 also re-determines your 2016 financial eligibility. This can cause major problems with your 1095-A, your billing, and your insurance plan. **NO Confirmed Fix Yet** I will update this page when there… Read more about PEAK Issues
Don’t Get Caught By The ACA Individual Mandate Penalty – It’s much higher than it used to be
This post was originally written in March 2014, but was updated in November 2015 to reflect the changes in the penalty calculation for 2016, and again in November 2016 to address the penalty for 2017. The penalty in 2017 will remain unchanged from 2016, but it’s considerably higher than it was in 2014 or 2015,… Read more about Don’t Get Caught By The ACA Individual Mandate Penalty – It’s much higher than it used to be
You’re eligible for cost-sharing subsidies. Does that mean you should always pick a silver plan?
A recent article published by the Colorado Center on Law and Policy (CCLP) caught my attention on Twitter today. One part of the article stood out, and I wanted to address it here. The article states that “Anyone who purchases insurance on Connect for Health Colorado would be wise to check eligibility for assistance and,… Read more about You’re eligible for cost-sharing subsidies. Does that mean you should always pick a silver plan?
New Benefits in Colorado for 2017 – Bariatric Surgery, Infertility, Chiro?
Open enrollment is just around the corner, and you may have started receiving information from your health insurer regarding changes to your premium and coverage for 2017. I maintain a detailed overview of Colorado’s exchange at healthinsurance.org, so if you have questions, you might find answers there. But after receiving our own family’s renewal packet… Read more about New Benefits in Colorado for 2017 – Bariatric Surgery, Infertility, Chiro?
The “We’re Ten!” Edition of the Health Wonk Review
Welcome to the Health Wonk Review! The ten-year anniversary of our first blog post here at the Colorado Health Insurance Insider was earlier this month. I didn’t notice it at the time, but as I read through the entries for this edition of the Health Wonk Review, I was struck by how many changes we’ve witnessed… Read more about The “We’re Ten!” Edition of the Health Wonk Review
Pregnancy and Special Enrollment Periods
EDIT, September 2023: As a result of legislation that was enacted in 2022, Colorado will consider pregnancy to be a qualifying event starting in 2024. This will allow a pregnant woman an opportunity to enroll in health coverage without having to wait until the baby is born. Several other states that run their own exchanges… Read more about Pregnancy and Special Enrollment Periods
Prescription Drug Coverage: Terms and Concepts You Need to Know
What is a drug formulary? How do prescription tiers work? If you’re shopping for health insurance and take prescription drugs, you likely have questions about the prescription coverage offered by the various plans. The good news is that all of the plans available today have to cover your pre-existing conditions. They can’t deny your application… Read more about Prescription Drug Coverage: Terms and Concepts You Need to Know
HR 5447 – Should employers be allowed to reimburse individual health insurance premiums?
HR 5447 is the Small Business Health Care Relief Act of 2016. It passed the House earlier this month, and is with the Senate now. This bill would allow employers to contribute to their employees’ individual health insurance premiums, up to a maximum of $5,130 for a single employee, or $10,260 if the reimbursement also includes… Read more about HR 5447 – Should employers be allowed to reimburse individual health insurance premiums?
2017 Rate Increases for Colorado Individual Health Insurance Market
EDIT, 9/25/2016: Rates were approved recently by the Colorado Division of Insurance. The following average rate changes (actual changes will vary by plan) will take effect January 1, 2017 for the seven carriers that will offer individual market coverage through the exchange. They will also apply off-exchange, as all of these carriers offer their plans both… Read more about 2017 Rate Increases for Colorado Individual Health Insurance Market
Open enrollment for 2017 coverage, and HSA contribution and coverage limits
Open enrollment for 2017 coverage starts on November 1, 2016. The schedule for open enrollment will follow the same November 1 – January 31 dates that were used last year (that schedule will continue to be used for 2018 coverage as well, but it will shorted to just a six week window in November/December for… Read more about Open enrollment for 2017 coverage, and HSA contribution and coverage limits
Simple Choice plans in the federally-facilitated exchange
Last month, I wrote about the standardized plans that will be optional for insurers to offer on Healthcare.gov this fall. I noted that standardized plans do not signal the end of HSA-qualified health insurance, and outlined the basic details surrounding standardized plans. The standardized plan designs that HHS finalized in the 2017 Benefit and Payment Parameters… Read more about Simple Choice plans in the federally-facilitated exchange
SB2 passes Senate – but it’s still a waste of time
Last week, the Colorado Senate passed SB2, with a vote of 18 to 17. All of the Democrats in the Senate opposed the bill, and it’s doubtful that it will pass in the Democrat-controlled House (it’s currently with the State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee in the House). I wrote about SB2 in February, when… Read more about SB2 passes Senate – but it’s still a waste of time
Commission cuts aren’t the same in states with state-run exchanges
EDIT, March 29, 2016: In addition to having state-run exchanges, there’s another factor involved here, which is much more likely to be the correct explanation. California, Colorado, Connecticut, and Kentucky are the four states that have taken regulatory action to prevent health insurance carriers from cutting commissions. Although my initial hypothesis wasn’t bad, direct action… Read more about Commission cuts aren’t the same in states with state-run exchanges
Healthcare Reform: The Path Forward
Welcome to the Health Wonk Review! It’s been nearly six years since the ACA was signed into law. And although most aspects of the law have now been implemented, the debate over its merits have not let up. In this election year, healthcare reform continues to be a hot topic, even dividing Democrats in terms… Read more about Healthcare Reform: The Path Forward
Should we eliminate the penalty exemption for a short gap in coverage?
Over the last several weeks, much has been said about the need to tighten up enforcement of the ACA’s special enrollment period eligibility. And CMS has said they will conduct audits this year to ensure that people enrolling through Healthcare.gov for the remainder of this year have a valid qualifying event. There is concern that people… Read more about Should we eliminate the penalty exemption for a short gap in coverage?
Senate Bill 2 and Connect for Health Colorado’s Administrative Fee
Last month, Colorado Senator Kevin Lundberg (R, Berthoud) introduced Senate Bill 2. In a nutshell, the bill calls out Connect for Health Colorado’s administrative fee as a violation of TABOR, since the fee is technically paid by people who aren’t enrolled through the exchange, could be considered a tax, and wasn’t voted upon by Colorado residents. Connect… Read more about Senate Bill 2 and Connect for Health Colorado’s Administrative Fee
Should open enrollment end by December 31 to prevent adverse selection?
A year ago, I wrote a post in which I expressed the opinion that open enrollment should continue into January every year. At that point, the proposed guidelines from HHS had called for the 2016 open enrollment period to end on December 15, 2015 (ie, next week), and I noted that this would mean people… Read more about Should open enrollment end by December 31 to prevent adverse selection?
Standardized plan designs, proposed 2017 max oop, open enrollment, and more
On Friday, HHS published their proposed benefit and payment parameters for 2017. It’s a good read, if you’re into HHS regulations. They’ll accept comments on the proposals through December 21, and final regulations will likely be published in February or March 2016. open enrollment schedule for 2017 HHS has proposed that open enrollment for 2017… Read more about Standardized plan designs, proposed 2017 max oop, open enrollment, and more
Lesson from CO-OP failures: low premiums aren’t sustainable unless we reduce healthcare costs
Healthcare accounts for 17.4% of the US GDP. And yet most of us can’t or won’t include a healthcare line-item in our budget that accounts for 17.4% of our annual spending. Whenever health insurance carriers raise their rates – particularly if it’s a significant increase – there tends to be a public outcry, with the carriers… Read more about Lesson from CO-OP failures: low premiums aren’t sustainable unless we reduce healthcare costs