Report

Filling in Gaps in Consumer Assistance: How Exchanges Can Use Assisters

Consumers will need help enrolling in the new health coverage provided by the Affordable Care Act. Navigators and in-person assisters will play a vital role helping consumers learn about and sign up f...

A Tale of Two States: Decisions about Extending Medicaid Can Drastically Affect Residents’ Lives

When states don’t extend Medicaid, Americans are hit the hardest. Our brief compares two neighboring states, Missouri and Iowa. Iowa has extended Medicaid coverage, but Missouri has not. We he...

State Advocate To-Do List for 2013

With the health insurance marketplaces opening in October, we know 2013 is going to be a busy year for advocates as they prepare, to educate, and enroll consumers. Health policy experts and state a...

Help Wanted: Preparing Navigators and Other Assisters to Meet New Consumer Needs

Consumers will need help applying for and enrolling in the new health insurance options that will be available starting on October 1. States will need to set up navigator and assister programs to meet...

Explainer: Medicaid Uncompensated Care Pools

Nine states have uncompensated care pools (also known as a “low-income pool” in Florida), which help health care providers—primarily hospitals—defray the costs of care that is not paid for. Th...

Health Homes in Medicaid

The Affordable Care Act offers states several ways to improve patient care using a coordinated, patient-centered approach. The Medicaid health home is one such model states can pursue with funding fro...

Medicaid Expansion Helps Working People Get Health Insurance

States that have expanded Medicaid are doing more to help working residents than states that choose not to expand Medicaid. In 2014, the first year of Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act,...

States and the Federal Government Working Together to Run Health Insurance Marketplaces

States have three choices when establishing their health insurance marketplaces (also known as exchanges): Run the marketplace on their own Have the federal government run the marketplace W...

Medicaid Managed Care Rule: Improving the Enrollment Experience

In April, the Obama administration issued sweeping new standards to guide the operation of state Medicaid managed care plans. The new rules are a big deal in part because they affect so many people: T...

Brokers and Agents and Health Insurance Exchanges

Health insurance brokers and agents can play an important role in health insurance marketplaces by helping consumers shop for and enroll in health coverage. But brokers and agents may not always act i...