Strategic Planning & Timelines

Analysts estimate that 1.5 million more people will launch their own business and become self-employed because of key provisions in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that will make purchasing high-quality insurance on the open market more accessible and affordable. Significant barriers to coverage will be eliminated through Medicaid expansion, coverage for preexisting conditions, and other assistance such as federal tax credits, enabling more people to start their own business without the risk of being denied coverage or not being able to afford premiums. The report is accompanied by an infographic detailing how many more people will be self-insured in nearly every state once the ACA is implemented.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) will significantly increase coverage options through an expansion of Medicaid and the creation of new health insurance exchange marketplaces. However, effective outreach and enrollment efforts will be key to ensuring that new coverage opportunities translate into increased coverage. Based on a review of existing research, this brief identifies five key lessons learned through previous Medicaid and CHIP experience to help inform outreach and enrollment under the ACA. The brief is part of the “Getting into Gear for 2014″ series examining key implementation issues as states prepare for the ACA coverage expansions.

This implementation timeline is an interactive tool designed to explain how and when the provisions of the health reform law will be implemented over the next several years.

State health insurance exchanges have unique strategies for certifying health plans for people to purchase through the exchange beginning on October 1, 2013. Some exchanges plan to selectively contract and negotiate prices with plans; others plan to add standards for plans beyond the federal requirements; and others are accepting all plans that meet the federal requirements. This chart highlights information about state approaches to qualified health plan certification, providing key insights about state exchanges’ approach to certification in the first few years of exchange operations.

With changes to Medicaid eligibility going into effect in January 2014, CMS has issued a letter detailing five targeted enrollment strategies that can help states with the transition to their new eligibility and enrollment systems. 

CMS released a set of streamlined applications for individuals and families seeking health coverage. These applications will help individuals and families determine whether they qualify for Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, plans offered on the exchange, and tax credits to help cover the costs of premiums. 

The major insurance coverage provisions of the Affordable Care Act go into effect in January 2014, providing new insurance options for people without health insurance and insurance market protections for consumers. The Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Survey of 2012 finds that the reform law has significantly increased health insurance coverage of young adults, and the findings also underscore why it is critical that implementation continue on schedule.

HHS released the timeline for the Federal Basic Health Plan, laying out the steps for its launch in 2015. According to the timeline, the Federal Basic Health Plan will begin enrollment in October 2014 and begin operations in January 2015.

Qualified Health Plans (QHPs) offered on state and federal exchanges must include a sufficient number of Essential Community Providers (ECPs) – such as community health centers, Ryan White providers, and others – in their networks, but these providers may not know how to identify or connect to QHPs. This fact sheet reviews ECP guidance and upcoming deadlines, and provides tips to help connect safety net providers and health plans.

HHS has published a non-exhaustive database of essential community health providers (ECPs) as outlined in its letter to issuers on federally facilitated and state partnership exchanges. This database is intended to help qualified health plan issuers comply with the ECP requirements of the ACA.