[…] The 27 states (including Colorado) that administer their own PCIPs have been notified by HHS that they can modify their programs in a similar manner. As of this morning, the GettingUSCovered website still has the same eligibility guidelines that it has always had: a letter from a private carrier stating that the applicant has been declined, or approved with an exclusion on a pre-existing condition. […]
HHS
HHS To Stop Accepting Early Retiree Reinsurance Applications After May 5, 2011
[…] Although the program has proven quite popular – as of last month, HHS had approved approximately 5850 applications – one of the concerns from the beginning was that the $5 billion allocated to the ERRP might not be sufficient to last until 2014. HHS said from the start that they would only accept applications as long as they had enough available funding. They have now announced that they will not accept any new applications after May 5, 2011. […]
More Than 200 Waivers Granted By HHS For Limited Benefit Plans
[…] As of last week, the number of waivers granted by HHS has grown to 222, and more than 1.5 million plan enrollees will continue to be covered next year by policies that provide limited benefits, despite the fact that those policies do not conform to the PPACA rules. Some of the exempted plans cover only a few workers, but some have thousands of enrollees. […]
Mini-Med Plans Don’t Really Help Workers
[…] HHS wants to protect employees from losing their mini-med plans, and has issued the waivers in order to help those employees keep their policies in place. But I wonder if that’s actually the best thing for the workers involved? Some of the policies in question might be better plans that have annual limits nearly as high as the minimum required by the PPACA. But is it really beneficial to workers if we help them keep policies with $2000 annual caps?