1. It may be Christmas week, but there's still plenty of new health insurance news. Here's my latest overview: healthinsurance.org/blog/2020/12/2…
Follow this thread for a summary, but first, a reminder that open enrollment for 2021 health insurance is still ongoing in 11 states & DC. 2. And some of those states are still allowing people to sign up for a plan that starts January 1. Here are all the details: healthinsurance.org/faqs/what-are-…

1. My latest overview of what's going on with health insurance and health care reform: healthinsurance.org/blog/2020/12/0… We've got news from several states, plus the ways that the proposed 2022 rule changes might affect you and your health insurance. Summary follows.... 2. In all but 10 states & DC, open enrollment for individual/family health plans ends in 13 days. If you're uninsured or haven't yet compared your current plan w/ other available options for 2021, time is running out! Here's my guide to open enrollment: healthinsurance.org/obamacare-enro…

1. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska has rolled out a new short-term health plan that very closely resembles regular individual market plans that were sold pre-ACA: nebraskablue.com/en/Shop-Plans/…
But there's one huge difference: You have to go through new underwriting each year. 2. The plans don't cover maternity, inpatient mental health, or specialty drugs, all of which was common on pre-ACA individual market plans.

But pre-ACA, once you were enrolled in an individual market plan, you could keep it as long as you paid your premiums.

1. Small businesses (ie, business that aren't subject to the ACA's employer mandate) are allowed to reimburse employees for individual market health insurance: healthinsurance.org/small-group-he… HHS wants to allow large businesses to do so as well. 2. Here are the proposed regulations: s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspect…

New guidance from HHS and the Treasury Department on 1332 waivers: s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspect… Still reading the overview section, but this doesn't instill much confidence: So the Administration is going to be much more likely to approve a state's 1332 waiver that calls for more STLDI plans than one that calls for Medicaid buy-in. The gaping holes in STLDI coverage are apparently not a concern.

1. People who earn a little more than 400% FPL shouldn't have to choose between spending a quarter of their income on health insurance or having to buy substandard junk coverage.

Congress could eliminate the 400% FPL cap on subsidy eligibility. Bear with me here...

https://twitter.com/larry_levitt/status/1013856030466322432

2. I'm not talking about giving subsidies to millionaires. Next year, people who earn between 300 & 400% FPL will pay 9.86% of their income for the benchmark plan. But Congress could allow that same % of income to apply to anyone earning 300% FPL or more.

1. In Mississippi, the cost of CSR is a particularly big deal, because 80% of exchange enrollees get CSR benefits (versus 57% nationally).
healthinsurance.org/mississippi-st…
And the cost has been added to ALL Magnolia plan premiums, not just silver plans @EyeOnInsurance 2. Magnolia is the only insurer in Mississippi's exchange. The initial proposed rate ↑ was 18-21%, based on assumption that fed. government would continue to fund CSR.

When they revised that assumption (correctly, since CSR funding did end), the average increase was 47.3%

THREAD:
A family of 4 in Sweetwater County, Wyoming, earning $97,000, can choose from 3 plans w/ $0 premiums for 2018. In 2017, they would have had to pay at least $526/month healthinsurance.org/wyoming-state-… @EyeOnInsurance But what if this family earns $115,000 instead of $97,000? Are they out of luck, and stuck with unaffordable health insurance? Not necessarily: healthinsurance.org/faqs/with-my-i… They should consult a tax adviser AS THEY MAY STILL BE ABLE TO GET $0 PREMIUMS