August 31, 2018
There continues to be conflicting data on the current uninsured rate. Another survey, this time based on the National Health Insurance Survey (NHIS) found that the nation’s uninsured rate was approximately the same as last year’s. It’s not unusual that surveys will have different point estimates, but it does drive home the point that the uninsured rate has not drastically changed over the past few years. You can find a good summary of year over year changes in the uninsured rate according to NHIS here.
Medicaid
Medicaid expansion will officially be on the ballot in Nebraska. Nebraska joins a number of other states in which Medicaid expansion could be implemented in time for the 2020 benefit year.
Medicare
CMS released new guidance that gives Medicare Advantage more flexibilities on drug formularies and requirements on providing greater transparency for their formularies. You can read more about it here.
Commercial
Short Term Duration Plans- One of the major online brokers* issued a statement that they expected short-term plan enrollment to reach 3 million people and have a market size of $19.6 billion over the next four years.
Texas v. United States – There continues to be research on what happens if Texas wins its lawsuits and prohibition of rating on pre-existing conditions returns. Kaiser Family Foundation released granular analysis on which areas of the country have the highest percentage of individuals with pre-existing conditions (West Virginia, Alabama, Kentucky, and Mississippi were among the highest). You can read about it here.
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