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Health Insurance

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ncsl podcast

Insuring the Insurers

State legislatures recently began noticing that, because of the high-risk cases insurance companies must cover, individual premiums were escalating. As a result, they began to look into ways to create a pool to limit those losses and reduce premium costs.

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health insurance

Health Exchanges: 2019

About 11.7 million people enrolled in 2018, using provisions of the federal ACA, plus state additions and initiatives. NCSL's report has state-specific policy and consumer details.

HEALTH INSURANCE

Health Insurance

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health insurance

Health Reinsurance

Health insurance coverage and affordability continues to be a top issue across the country, with states increasingly taking the lead in helping more residents obtain insurance at reasonable rates. Federal Section 1332 waivers allow states to establish a reinsurance program to help lower premiums.

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health insurance

Legislation Related to 1332 Waivers

Learn how states can use "Section 1332" health innovation waivers to go beyond the current features in parts of the Affordable Care Act.

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Overview

Back in 2013 some 197 million Americans had commercial or private market health insurance, through employers, individual purchases or policies with public subsidies. Since then federal health reform has added to existing state regulation, mandates and consumer protections. ACA-authorized Health insurance Marketplaces or Exchanges led to about 12 million individuals obtaining new health policies between October 2013 and winter 2018 and an HHS calculation of 218 million with such coverage. The past two years included complexities with the repeal of the individual mandate to have insurance and the administration decision to withhold all payments for lower-income subsidies termed "CSR" payments. Large employers continue to have a requirement to offer health insurance, while smaller employers can obtain an incentive subsidy if they opt to offer coverage. NCSL has extensive information describing current laws, pending bills and latest federal guidance and rules from HHS.