Report from the NAIC Consumer Representatives to Insurance Regulators
Recent federal legislative and regulatory changes will result in more than 10 million people losing either Medicaid or Affordable Care Act Marketplace coverage over the next decade; an additional 4 million people are expected to become uninsured because of Congress’s failure to extend enhanced premium tax credits (PTCs). State insurance commissioners, working within their authority and in partnership with state-based Marketplaces and other state officials, can mitigate these harms in meaningful ways. A new report from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Consumer Representatives, authored by CHIR’s Sabrina Corlette and Karen Davenport, outlines a set of state-level strategies to help protect consumers’ access to affordable, high-quality coverage and access to care.
States can pursue a wide range of strategies to help residents access and maintain high quality, affordable health insurance. State-level policy and operational actions can improve coverage affordability, reduce red tape, improve consumer education and assistance, and help maintain markets that provide high quality, comprehensive health insurance. The report provides recommendations for:
- State-funded financial help;
- Basic Health Programs;
- Improved Marketplace Eligibility and Enrollment Processes;
- Effective Consumer Communications and Engagement;
- Consumer-focused Plan Management and Insurance Regulation; and
- Better Market Oversight and Enforcement.
The report also encourages states to collect and analyze data on the impact of federal policy changes on the accessibility and affordability of health insurance coverage, and to share those impacts with policymakers, the public, and other stakeholders.
States, by themselves, will be unable to fully fill the gaps in coverage access and affordability caused by recent federal policy changes, including the expiration of the enhanced PTCs, the 2025 budget reconciliation package (H.R. 1), and the Marketplace Integrity final rule. However, state insurance regulators, in partnership with state-based marketplaces and other state policymakers, can adopt and implement numerous strategies to reduce consumer hardship.
Download the full report here.
Download the executive summary here.
