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1. It may be Christmas week, but there's still plenty of new health insurance news. Here's my latest overview: https://www.healthinsurance.org/blog/2020/12/23/the-scoop-health-insurance-news-december-23-2020/
Follow this thread for a summary, but first, a reminder that open enrollment for 2021 health insurance is still ongoing in 11 states & DC.
Follow this thread for a summary, but first, a reminder that open enrollment for 2021 health insurance is still ongoing in 11 states & DC.
2. And some of those states are still allowing people to sign up for a plan that starts January 1. Here are all the details: https://www.healthinsurance.org/faqs/what-are-the-deadlines-for-obamacares-open-enrollment-period/
3. CMS reported last week that 8.23 million people signed up for coverage via http://HealthCare.gov during open enrollment. That's up 6.6% over last year, since PA & NJ are now running their own exchanges. Here's a good summary from @charles_gaba http://acasignups.net/20/12/19/2021-oep-week-6-hcgov-semi-final-snapshot-report-442m-qhps-823m-total
4. And read this, from @xpostfactoid, about how the private plan enrollment numbers look when we compare states that have expanded Medicaid versus those that have not: https://xpostfactoid.blogspot.com/2020/12/aca-marketplace-enrollment-up-10-in.html (plus this, about overall Medicaid enrollment this year: https://xpostfactoid.blogspot.com/2020/12/at-pandemics-peak-medicaid-expansion.html)
5. The Trump administration has finalized some rule changes for grandfathered group plans: https://www.healthinsurance.org/glossary/grandfathered-health-plan/#Trump HSA-qualified plans will be able to change cost-sharing to remain HSA-qualified (if necessary) & general cost-sharing amounts will be allowed more leeway to increase
6. Big news this week is the surprise balance billing protections in the appropriations bill Congress passed, although there's now doubt about whether Trump will sign it. Here's a great thread from @larry_levitt explaining the balance billing protections: https://twitter.com/larry_levitt/status/1341097536866508802
