Insurance Market Reform

Portability, in the context of health insurance, describes the ability of an employee to maintain access to health insurance coverage and comprehensive benefits after leaving a job. It also applies to the ability of those purchasing insurance on their own to drop one insurance policy and buy another. This fact sheet explains how portability is regulated under current law and how the Affordable Care Act will affect portability in 2014. 

The ACA established a Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan (CO-OP) program to increase competition among plans and improve consumer choice. This policy brief describes the CO-OP program and examines issues related to its implementation and likelihood of success.

This interim rule builds on the standards set forth in the Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2014. This document adjusts risk corridors calculations that would align the calculations with the single risk pool provision, and sets standards permitting QHP issuers to use an alternate methodology for calculating the value of cost-sharing reductions. 

This proposed rule provides guidance on the annual fee that certain U.S. health insurers will be required to pay starting in 2014. It also clarifies the types of entities that are exempt from the fee, including self-insured employers, government entities, and certain nonprofit corporations and voluntary employees’ beneficiary associations (VEBAs).

This final rule released by HHS provides further detail on risk adjustment, reinsurance and risk corridors programs; cost-sharing reductions; user fees for federally facilitated exchanges; advance payments of the premium tax credit; the federally facilitated Small Business Health Option Program; and the medical loss ratio program.