District of Columbia

District of Columbia

A few weeks ago I wrote about a bill pending in the District of Columbia Council, of all legislative bodies, which, had it passed, would have seriously undermined ACA protections for thousands of DC residents with employer-based healthcare coverage, as well as potentially setting precedent for similar bills in other states:

Yes, that's right: This is an attempt to bypass ACA rules for an industry which employs over 4 million people nationally (I don't know how many in DC specifically).

Again, here's what PEOs are:

DC Heatlh Link

via DC Health Link:

Executive Board votes to cut copays to $5, no deductibles

Washington, DC–The DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority (DCHBX) Executive Board unanimously voted to adopt recommendations based on the work of the DCHBX Standard Plans Working Group to help address health disparities in pediatric mental health treatment. Starting in Plan Year 2024, children covered by a standard plan on DC Health Link will only have a $5 copay, with no deductibles, for outpatient mental health visits, including specialist visits, and no limit on the number of visits. Additionally, this vote reduces prescription copays for child mental health care to $5, with no deductibles.

The action taken by DCHBX means that parents who had copays as high as $45 for their children's mental health visits will only pay $5 starting in 2024. Additionally, parents who were paying as high as $25 in copays for even the lowest-cost generic prescriptions for their children, will have only a $5 copay starting in 2024.

District of Columbia

There's perhaps no other population center in the United States more Democratic-leaning than the heart of our nation's capital, the District of Columbia. In 2020, DC voted for President Biden by a whopping 88 points, giving him 93% of the vote. Every DC Mayor has been a Democrat since before DC even had a mayor (in 1967 DC's government was reorganized), and 11 of the District's 13 Councilmembers are Democrats...with the other two being listed as Independents.

You'd assume that DC's governing body would be a staunch supporter of both the letter and spirit of the Affordable Care Act, and for the most part you'd be correct.

And yet, somehow, in this liberal bastion, there's a decidedly anti-Patient Protection, anti-Affordable Care bill which has somehow managed to work its way into the Council's legislative proceedings.

District of Columbia

via the DC Dept. of Insurance, Securities & Banking:

DC Announces 2023 Health Insurance Rates; Half of Insurers Decrease Rates after District Review

Washington, DC–Today, the District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB) announced the 2023 approved individual and small business health insurance rates. As a result of the Department’s review, half of the insurers decreased their initial rate proposals, which will save District residents more than $17 million.

“The Bowser Administration and the Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking are committed to fair rates and non-discriminatory coverage,” said DISB Commissioner Karima M. Woods. “We performed a thorough review of 211 small group plans and 27 individual plans to ensure that they meet the District’s standards and provide non-discriminatory, accessible and affordable health insurance for our residents.”

CMS Logo

This is pretty slim pickings as a silver lining given Roe v. Wade being overturned last week, but it's something, I suppose...via the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services:

CMS Approves 12-month Extension of Postpartum Coverage in Washington State

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), approved Washington state’s extension of Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage for 12 months after pregnancy. As a result, up to an additional 12,000 people annually will now have access to Medicaid or CHIP coverage for a full year after pregnancy. With today’s approval, an estimated 265,000 Americans annually in 15 states and D.C. have gained access to 12 months of postpartum coverage. 

District of Columbia

via the DC Dept. of Insurance, Securities & Banking:

Insurers File Proposed Rates for 2023 District of Columbia Health Plan Offerings

Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Washington – The District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB) has received 208 proposed health insurance plan rates for annual review in advance of open enrollment for plan year 2023. The proposed rates were submitted for DC Health Link, the District of Columbia’s health insurance marketplace, from Aetna, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, Kaiser Permanente and United Healthcare.

The proposed rates are for individuals, families and small businesses for the 2023 plan year. Overall, the number of plans submitted for 2022 is up by 51 from those submitted for 2022.

CMS Logo

via the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services:

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that during the Biden-Harris Administration 253,000 parents have gained access to 12 months of postpartum coverage through Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) extensions. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have made addressing the maternal mortality and morbidity crisis a key priority for their Administration.

DC Heatlh Link

DC Health Link recently posted thei 2022 enrollment summary as of January 10th as part of their monthly board of directors meeting.

On the surface the numbers look pretty straightforward:

INDIVIDUAL ENROLLMENT:

  • Current Enrollment: 15,993 covered lives
  • Enrollment 1 Year Ago: 16,373 covered lives
  • CHANGE: -380

SHOP ENROLLMENT:

DC Heatlh Link

via DC Health Link:

DC Residents Can Get Covered and Stayed Covered by Going to DCHealthLink.com Before the January 31, 2022 Deadline 

(Washington, DC) - As the first week of DC Health Link’s 2022 open enrollment period comes to a close, Mayor Muriel Bowser is encouraging DC residents to sign up for high-quality, affordable health insurance at DCHealthLink.com, the District’s online state-based health insurance marketplace established under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Open enrollment for individuals and families runs from November 1, 2021 and continues through January 31, 2022.

“Ensuring everyone in our community is insured is a critical step in making our healthcare landscape more equitable,” said Mayor Bowser. “Keeping our community healthy means ensuring all Washingtonians are getting the right care at the right time. We never want people in our city to put off healthcare because of a lack of coverage. Now is the time to get covered and stay covered, and that process can start at DCHealthLink.com.”

District of Columbia

via DC Health Link:

District Announces 2022 Health Insurance Rates

(Washington, DC) - Today, the District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB) announced the 2022 approved individual and small business health insurance rates. As a result of the Department’s review, most insurers decreased their initial rate proposals, which will save District residents more than $16 million.

“On behalf of the Bowser Administration, DISB performed a thorough review of 157 small group plans and 27 individual plans to ensure that they meet the District’s standards and provide non-discriminatory, accessible and affordable health insurance for our residents,” said DISB Commissioner Karima M. Woods.

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