Health insurers were so profitable last year (during the pandemic) that they are now issuing $2 billion in rebates to consumers, as required by the Affordable Care Act (ACA/Obamacare) cms.gov/files/document…
2/ Why were insurers so profitable? Because people were using less healthcare. Fewer hospital stays, doctor visits, etc. (that's continued at least into early 2021)
healthsystemtracker.org/brief/early-20…
COVID hospitalizations are still costly -- racking up billions of dollars. But, in 2020 at least, that was balanced out by people delaying or forgoing other medical care healthsystemtracker.org/brief/unvaccin…
4/ By mid-2020, insurers knew they were going to have to owe some big rebates. Some insurers started preemptively waiving premium payments. Many insurers also voluntarily waived the cost of COVID treatment. Some also waived telemed costs healthsystemtracker.org/brief/cost-sha…
5/ One in four adults reported delaying or going without needed medical care in 2020 because of COVID. It's not clear if or when that need will be met. Will all this delayed or missed care mean worse health outcomes in the long run?

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More from @cynthiaccox

10 Dec
NEW: As the U.S. approaches 800,000 COVID-19 deaths, our @KFF analysis finds 163,000 deaths could have been prevented by vaccination since June
healthsystemtracker.org/brief/covid19-…
@KrutikaAmin @JaredOrtaliza @PetersonCHealth
@KFF @KrutikaAmin @JaredOrtaliza @PetersonCHealth 2/ Our analysis also finds COVID was the 3rd leading cause of death in the U.S. in November. healthsystemtracker.org/brief/covid19-…
3/ In October, the most recent month with age-specific data, COVID-19 was the #1 killer of people age 45-54 in the U.S. healthsystemtracker.org/brief/covid19-…
Read 4 tweets
17 Nov
Curious how the Medicaid expansion works in Build Back Better? Here's a quick thread.
In short, BBB would close the Medicaid coverage gap in states like FL and TX that haven't expanded the program by allowing people living under poverty in those states to access ACA subsidies 🧵 Image
2/ People in states that have already expanded Medicaid with incomes under 138% of poverty would still have Medicaid.
Starting in 2022, if BBB passes, 2.2 million uninsured people living in 12 Medicaid non-expansion states could get heavily subsidized coverage through ACA markets Image
3/ If BBB passes: In states that do not expand Medicaid, people with incomes under 138% of poverty would get free ($0 premium silver plans) that, in 2022, have an actuarial value of 94% (very low deductible) and from 2023-2025 have an actuarial value of 99% (maybe no deductible)
Read 6 tweets
17 Nov
🧵 Here's an updated summary of the major health provisions in Build Back Better.
It has changed from the original version, so I'll walk through the current version in this thread 🧵(1/10)
Click the link for more data on potential costs and impact: kff.org/health-reform/…
2/ Build Back Better would boost ACA Marketplace subsidies through 2025 (original version was permanent). Upper/middle income people would not be priced out of coverage and low-income people would get free platinum-like plans, thru 2025. Over a million people could gain coverage.
3/ Build Back Better would create a new Medicare hearing benefit (no longer dental/vision). Hearing aids would be available every 5 years with 20% coinsurance. There are about 36 million Medicare beneficiaries in traditional Medicare who currently lack this coverage.
Read 10 tweets
1 Jul
With new regulations on #SurpriseBills expected to drop momentarily, a reminder that about 1 in 5 emergency visits results in an out-of-network charge, putting patients at risk of surprise bills healthsystemtracker.org/brief/an-exami…
Even for childbirth -- something patients have months to prepare for, and it's common for new parents to even go on TOURS of hospitals in preparation for -- 1 in 10 in-network hospitalizations comes with an out-of-network charge healthsystemtracker.org/brief/surprise…
Soon, most surprise billing practice should stop with implementation of the No Surprises Act.

But there are holes in these protections, particularly for ground ambulance rides (which are exactly the sort of situations patients feel powerless in). healthsystemtracker.org/brief/ground-a…
Read 12 tweets
18 Feb
NEW on House COVID Relief:

•3.4M+ people would be guaranteed $0 plans with deductibles under $200

•8M ppl are subject to full-priced premiums now. Many in the subsidy cliff would save $500/month

•States with biggest savings include WY, NE, WV, SD

kff.org/health-reform/…
2/ Under the House proposal, most of the ~14 million people buying on the individual market and the ~15 million uninsured people who could be on the ACA Marketplace would see lower ACA premiums. That savings could be used to get lower deductible plans, too.
3/ The House COVID Relief proposal would yield big savings for the older adults buying ACA Marketplace plans, particularly those above 4x the poverty rate (~$52k single income).

But the zero-premium low-deductible plans for low-income people are at least as big of a game changer
Read 5 tweets
10 Nov 20
At her confirmation, #AmyConeyBarrett said the #ACA SCOTUS case is about severability.

That assumes the individual mandate is unconstitutional, and the question before the court is: 𝘾𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝘾𝘼 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙?

The data shows it can... 1/9
2/ The individual mandate 𝗵𝗮𝗱 been seen as essential to the ACA’s individual market. The thought 𝗵𝗮𝗱 been, if people with #PreexistingConditons can get coverage, people would wait 'til they got sick to get insurance. This would drive up premiums and lead to a "death spiral"
3/ As anyone who has read the ACA knows, it’s a big piece of legislation. There’s a lot that has nothing to do with the individual mandate. Like calorie labeling, biosimilar approval, closing the Medicare donut hole. There was never a risk of a death spiral in Medicaid expansion.
Read 9 tweets

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