Insights Column

Health Policy on the Hill: What Congress Is Doing on Health Care for the Rest of 2015

Last month, Congress and President Obama worked out a budget deal that provides relief from the sequester caps, raises the debt ceiling, and prevents a steep scheduled rise in Medicare Part B premiums...

Kentucky Shouldn’t Turn Its Back on Affordable Care Act Success

In horse racing, it is not a good idea to change jockeys when you have a winner. That is why Governor–elect Matt Bevin should not rush into a decision on Kentucky’s winning approach to health cove...

CMS Marketplace Rules Could Improve Health Insurance Choices in 2017

A year from now, consumers shopping for insurance on HealthCare.gov in federally facilitated marketplaces may be happy with some new plan choices and better protections for 2017. That's because, earli...

Consumer Advocates Should Review New Guidance for 1332 Waivers

Last month, HHS and the Department of the Treasury issued new guidance on state innovation waivers that includes stronger protections for low-income and vulnerable consumers. We believe many of its ...

Health Insurance Mergers: Questions Consumers Want Answered

Last July, four insurance giants announced proposed mergers. Anthem is proposing to purchase Cigna, and Aetna to purchase Humana. A merged Anthem-Cigna would cover 53 million people, and a merged Aet...

Health Insurance and 2015 Taxes: A Quick Guide

This is the second year that everyone who files taxes must indicate whether they have health insurance. Depending on their coverage status, some people may also need to supply additional information...

CMS Finalizes Health Insurance Plan Standards, Enrollment for 2017

There's a lot to like in the new “Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters” rule from the federal government, both about what insurers must offer in the health plans they sell on the federal mar...

3 Things to Know about Affordable Care Act Repayment Caps

This week, the House Ways and Means Committee in Congress will vote on legislation that would eliminate caps on how much money marketplace consumers must repay the federal government if they receive...

How Health Insurance Companies and Policymakers Can Make Care More Affordable

The Affordable Care Act has helped expand access to affordable health insurance to millions of Americans. But consumers’ out-of-pocket costs are sometimes still too high, preventing them from gettin...

How States Are Improving Consumers’ Access to In-Network Health Care Providers

Updated May 5, 2016 In 2016, there has been tremendous progress in improving consumers’ access to in-network providers. At Families USA, we have launched a campaign to enact standards to address ...