Report

The Return of Churn: State Paperwork Barriers Caused More Than 1.5 Million Low-Income People to Lose Their Medicaid Coverage in 2018

In 2018, enrollment in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program decreased by about 1.6 million enrollees, 744,000 of which were children. The three states with the largest percentage drops...

Federal Standardized Health Insurance Plans Could Help Improve Access to Care without Raising Premiums

Health insurance companies should offer plans on the Affordable Care Act marketplaces that cover the cost of basic outpatient care—like primary care, specialty care, and prescription drugs—before ...

Language Access Checklist for Marketplace Implementation

One in four American consumers who will apply for coverage through the new health insurance marketplaces will speak a language other than English at home. This brief explains why states must provide l...

Improve the Display of Plan Information on Marketplace Websites to Help Enrollment

Exchange directors, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and insurers have an enormous opportunity to help consumers choose the plan that is right for them and make the enrollment process m...

Medicaid Expansion Boosts State Economies

In 2013, we reached out to many states that were actively engaged in the Medicaid expansion debate. These states faced an important decision: whether or not to accept federal dollars to provide health...

Implementing Consumer-Friendly Health Insurance Marketplaces

The Affordable Care Act requires each state to have a health insurance marketplace (also known as an "exchange"), and it sets minimum standards for health plans sold in the marketplaces. But states ...

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...