Promoting Coverage Stability

Several health insurers, both large and small, have announced plans to dramatically scale back their offerings in the Health Insurance Marketplaces next year. This development is troubling because more than 11 million Americans rely on the Marketplaces for their health coverage, and access to care – facilitated by affordable health care coverage – is foundational to building healthy lives and healthy communities. We think there are steps that can be taken now to ensure the stability of the Health Insurance Marketplaces going forward and encourage robust consumer and insurer participation. That’s why this week we sent a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services outlining those steps – which include limiting the use of special enrollment periods, further refining the risk-adjustment program, increasing access to coverage through third-party payment of premiums, enhancing outreach and enrollment strategies, and supporting the development of state-level solutions. America’s hospitals have long helped connect consumers with coverage and are committed to continuing to do so as Open Enrollment gets underway for 2017. We can’t afford to backslide on the progress made in reducing the number of uninsured; the health of our neighbors and communities depends on it.