CMS denies MA request for marketplace waiver; Iowa withdraws request

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services yesterday denied Massachusetts’ request to create a premium stabilization fund in lieu of cost-sharing reductions to help stabilize the state’s 2018 health insurance marketplace, citing insufficient time to implement the proposed Section 1332 waiver. In other news, Iowa yesterday withdrew a request for a Section 1332 waiver to help stabilize the state’s 2018 marketplace, saying the waivers “are not designed to fix collapsing individual markets.” States can apply for a Section 1332 waiver of certain Affordable Care Act requirements but must demonstrate that the proposed waiver would provide access to quality health care that is at least as comprehensive and affordable as without the waiver, and provide coverage to at least a comparable number of residents.