2012

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...

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...

The District of Columbia Health Benefits Exchange Proposal

The District of Columbia is designing and operating its own health insurance marketplace (also known as an "exchange") where residents can shop for, compare, and enroll in affordable health insurance....

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...

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...

Talking about the Individual Mandate

In June 2012, the Supreme Court's decision on the Affordable Care Act ruled that the penalty for states that don't expand Medicaid is unconstitutional. By removing the penalty, the court's decision ch...

How the Supreme Court’s Decision Affects Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act

Worry No More: Americans with Pre-Existing Conditions Are Protected by the Health Care Law

The Affordable Care Act protects all Americans from being denied health insurance, charged more in premiums, or sold a policy that excludes coverage for necessary treatments based on pre-existing cond...

Being a Woman Just Got a Little Easier: How the Affordable Care Act Benefits Women

The Affordable Care Act guarantees that women will be able to get affordable health insurance that covers the health services they need. Thanks to the health care law, women cannot be denied coverage ...

Designing the Essential Health Benefits for Your State: An Advocate’s Guide

The Affordable Care Act requires all health plans to cover a minimum set of benefits, known as essential health benefits. Although the law establishes 10 broad categories of minimum services, each sta...