Statement on CMS Proposed Rule to Increase Patients' Health Insurance Choices for 2018

Tom Nickels
Executive Vice President
American Hospital Association

The Health Insurance Marketplaces continue to face challenges related to plan pricing and participation, putting consumer access to coverage at risk. The AHA has long advocated for measures to stabilize the insurance marketplaces, and we appreciate that the Administration signaled its commitment to working to achieve this goal. We believe many of today’s proposals have the potential to make participation in the marketplaces more appealing to insurers and consumers, such as allowing insurers to offer less-expensive options.

However, we will be reviewing them in more detail to ensure that they both improve consumer access to coverage and maintain important consumer protections including maintaining access to essential community providers. We are committed to working with the Administration to protect this vital coverage source for consumers.

About the AHA

The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the health improvement of their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which include nearly 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks, other providers of care and 43,000 individual members. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, visit the AHA website at www.aha.org.