Rep. Gene Green Leads Letter Calling on Gov. Abbot to Take Action to Increase Health Care Coverage, Drive Down Costs
Today, Rep.
Six potential options
* Protect state residents by limiting the sale of sub-par junk insurance plans.
* Boost coverage (and lower costs) by increasing outreach, enrollment and marketing.
* Strengthen state oversight of the individual market to improve plan participation and lower costs.
* Protect consumers by ensuring their health plan provides essential health benefits, like hospital care or prescription drugs.
* Use existing Affordable Care Act (ACA) authority to craft a reinsurance program to reduce health insurance premiums.
* Expand Medicaid in the
The letter from
Full text of the letter is available below:
The Honorable
Governor
P.O. Box 12428
Dear Governor Abbott,
In the past few years,
The repeal of the individual mandate beginning in 2019 and proposed regulations on short-term limited-duration (STLD) plans and association health plans will further destabilize the individual market and raise costs for American families. According to a recent analysis conducted by the
Together we can help more Texans keep their insurance and limit the burden on taxpayers.
There are a number of other actions at the state level that would help increase coverage and improve the affordability of care for families in our state. I urge you to work to implement some or all of these options to help ensure stability and lower costs for our residents. Six potential options are listed below:
Protect state residents by limiting the sale of sub-par junk insurance plans.
The current administration has weakened consumer protections by allowing plans to be sold that do not meet basic benefit or financial protection standards. These plans would return patients to the days where only upon illness did they discover their plans imposed unreasonable limits on coverage and excluded needed benefits. In the past, consumers faced more than
Boost coverage (and lower costs) by increasing outreach, enrollment and marketing.
States can increase efforts to connect consumers to coverage and increase awareness of the insurance marketplaces. While the current Administration dramatically cuts the budget for marketing and outreach, and has refused to use funds designated for these purposes, states can and should boost on the ground efforts, including marketing targeted at hard to reach groups. Awareness of the marketplaces and available financial assistance remain very low, and younger and healthier consumers are more likely to remain uninsured without significant advertising campaigns. Investments in outreach, enrollment and marketing help ensure a diverse risk pool, bringing premiums down for consumers. For instance, Covered California estimates that its extensive investment in marketing and outreach has translated into 6-8 percent lower premiums. States interested in conducting outreach could ask that federal funds currently not being used for their intended purposes be sent directly to the states for their own outreach and marketing efforts.
Strengthen state oversight of the individual market to improve plan participation and lower costs.
State regulators in all states can work with plans to ensure that every rating area has a plan available and increase competition to reduce costs and increase choice. Demonstrating this commitment and increasing communication with issuers at the state level has the potential to reverse the current Administration's ongoing efforts to limit the individual market.
Protect consumers by ensuring their health plan provides essential health benefits, like hospital care or prescription drugs.
While current legislative attempts to weaken critical health benefits like maternity care and prescription drugs have not succeeded to date, the current Administration is considering steps that would allow plans to charge more for certain life-saving benefits or allow plans to exclude certain needed items from coverage altogether. States and localities have the opportunity to demonstrate the importance of these essential health benefits and ensure equal access to needed care by passing their own requirements to protect residents and bolster the intent of current law and regulations.
Use existing Affordable Care Act (ACA) authority to craft a reinsurance program to reduce health insurance premiums.
A number of states have sought State Innovation waivers under Section 1332 of the ACA to create reinsurance funds to stabilize the individual market. These funds protect consumers from dramatic premium increases by paying claims above a certain limit or paying for claims for certain specific high-cost conditions. Removing these claims or conditions through reinsurance allows plans to reduce premiums for other consumers.
Expand Medicaid in the
Since the passage of the ACA in 2010, more states are deciding to expand Medicaid coverage for its constituents.
A replacement for the ACA that would increase coverage and lower costs for American families does not yet exist, but we in
I stand ready to work with you and your administration to help make these options a reality. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Member of
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