Maryland receives waiver to implement reinsurance program

Aug 22, 2018 - 02:42 PM
image of health insurance policy with stethoscope on it and the words "Maryland Reinsurance"

The departments of Health and Human Services and the Treasury today approved a Section 1332 waiver for Maryland to implement a five-year reinsurance program for its individual health insurance market beginning in 2019. Maryland expects the program to lower premiums by 30 percent in 2019. The state also projects that the number of uninsured persons will fall by about 5.8 percent due to the lower cost of health care through stabilization of the individual market.
 
Under Section 1332 of the Affordable Care Act, states can apply for a waiver of certain ACA 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 coverage to at least a comparable number of residents. New Jersey, Wisconsin, Maine, Oregon, Minnesota and Alaska also have received waivers to run reinsurance programs since the ACA’s transitional reinsurance program expired in 2016.
 
To reduce premiums and stabilize the individual market for 2019 and beyond, AHA has encouraged the administration to approve state efforts to stabilize the health insurance marketplaces, and has urged Congress to create a federal reinsurance program and provide multi-year funding for cost-sharing reduction benefits.

Related News Articles

Headline
CMS approves Ariz. Medicaid waiver with work requirement
The Centers for Medicare…
Perspective
Perspective: Turning the Tide on the Prescription Drug Spending Crisis
Last week, I shared a few areas where we can advance health in America this year, even in a divided Congress.
Headline
FDA takes steps to spur OTC versions of naloxone
To encourage drug companies to seek approval for over-the-counter versions of naloxone, an emergency treatment for opioid overdose, the Food and Drug…
Headline
CDC: Rural patients more likely to receive opioid prescription
Patients in the most rural counties had an 87 percent greater chance of receiving an opioid prescription from their primary care provider between January 2014…
Headline
AHA Releases New Report that Shows Continued Rising Drug Prices and Drug Shortages are Disrupting Patient Care, Hospital Budgets
Continued rising drug prices, as well as shortages for many critical medications, are disrupting patient care and forcing hospitals to delay infrastructure and…
Headline
AHA recommends certain changes to Medicaid/CHIP managed care rule
AHA said it generally supports CMS’ efforts to grant greater state-level flexibility and reduce regulatory burden, but urged the agency to ensure Medicaid…