The departments of Health and Human Services and the Treasury Friday granted Hawaii the first State Innovation Waiver under Section 1332 of the Affordable Care Act. Section 1332 allows the federal agencies to waive specific ACA provisions for states if the proposal would provide similar coverage to a comparable number of residents and not increase the federal deficit, among other requirements. Hawaii’s five-year waiver frees the state from the requirement to operate a Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP), allowing the tax credit amounts that would be paid to small employers through a SHOP to support a fund that helps small businesses cover their health care costs. Section 1332 waivers became available Jan. 1. For more on Section 1332 and the Hawaii waiver, visit www.cms.gov

Related News Articles

Headline
The U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island Sept. 30 denied motions from AbbVie and Novartis seeking a preliminary injunction against the state’s…
Headline
AHA’s latest social media toolkit for spreading awareness of the flu focuses on the availability of the flu vaccine for at-risk, vulnerable populations as flu…
Headline
An analysis published Sept. 30 by KFF found that Health Insurance Marketplace enrollees who currently benefit from the enhanced premium tax credits would pay…
Headline
The federal government shut down Oct. 1 following a failed Senate vote on the House-passed continuing resolution to fund the government by midnight Sept. 30.…
Headline
The Food and Drug Administration today issued a request for public comment on a series of questions regarding current approaches to evaluating artificial…
Headline
President Trump today announced the first agreement with a major pharmaceutical company, Pfizer, to bring American drug prices in line with the lowest paid by…