Upload
alban-williamson
View
216
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Today’s Presentation
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA or ACA)
ACA’s General Regulatory Scheme
State Role in the ACA
New Concepts in the ACAAmerican Health Benefits ExchangesBenchmark PlansEssential Health BenefitsQualified Health Plans
Today’s Presentation (cont’d)
Goals for Affordable Health Care Coverage
Regulatory Approach for Developing Affordable Health Care Products
Benchmark PlansBenefits CategoriesMissing CategoriesState Mandated CoverageActuarial Value of Plans
Patient Protection andAffordable Care Act (PPACA or ACA)
Signed into law on March 23, 2010
Upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court on June 28, 2012
Provides important protections and benefits to patients in . . .
General insurance provisionThose parts of the law that specifically
reference mental illness and substance use disorders
ACA’s General Regulatory Scheme
All U.S. citizens 18 and over must maintain health insurance coverage
Premium support to help low- and moderate-income individuals afford coverage and pay for benefits
Includes obligations on LARGE EMPLOYERS that penalize the failure to offer appropriate coverage (“employer-shared responsibility”)
ACA’s General Regulatory Scheme (cont’d)
For SMALL GROUPS EMPLOYERS or INDIVIDUAL PURCHASERS of insurance new concepts come into play with
Health Benefits Exchanges (“Exchanges”)
Benchmark Plans
Essential Health Benefits (EHBs)
Essential Health Benefit Packages
Qualified Health Plans (QHPs)
The State Role
HHS has determined that
MANY PROVISIONS OF THE ACA MUST BE DECIDED AND IMPLEMENTED BY THE STATES, including:
Creation of Health Benefits ExchangesDetermination of Benchmark PlansDevelopment of Essential Health Benefits packages
Medicaid Expansion
An Office of Health Insurance Consumer Assistance
Creation of a Basic Health Plan for the uninsured
The State Role (cont’d)
HEALTH BENEFITS EXCHANGES
Online marketplaces through which small groups and individuals can purchase affordable insurance
The State RoleHealth Benefits Exchanges (cont’d)
STATES HAVE 3 CHOICES, as determined by HHS:
Develop their own state-based Exchanges (17 states and the District of Columbia*)
Plan for a Partnership Exchange with the federal government (7 states*)
Default to the Federal Exchange (26 states*)
* as of 5/9/13
The State RoleHealth Benefits Exchanges (cont’d)
States creating their own State-based Exchanges:
CA, CO, CT, HI, ID, KY, MD, MA, MN, NV, NM, NY, OR, RI, UT, VT, WA and the District of Columbia
States planning for a Partnership Exchange:
AR, DE, IL, IA, MI, NH, WV
States defaulting to a Federal Exchange:
AL, AK, AZ, FL, GA, IN, KS, LA, ME, MS, MO, MT, NE, NJ, NC, ND, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, WI,WY
The State Role
MEDICAID EXPANSION
Policy implications and certain decisions aside, this is not an entirely new concept
and will not be the focus of this power point
The State RoleMedicaid Expansion (cont’d)
STATES HAVE 2 CHOICES:
Support (28 states and the District of Columbia*)
Oppose (20 states*)
Still weighing their options (2*)
*Based on statements made by governors in budget documents, State of the State addresses and other recent public statements as of 5/9/13
The State RoleMedicaid Expansion (cont’d)
States supporting Medicaid expansion:
AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, HI, IL, KY, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, ND, OH,
OR, RI, VT, WA, WV
States opposing Medicaid expansion:AL, AK, GA, ID, IN, IA, LA, ME, MS, NE, NC,
OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WI, WY
States still weighing their options:
KS, SD
New Concepts in the ACA
DEFINITIONS
American Health Benefits Exchanges (“Exchanges”)
Benchmark Plans
Essential Health Benefits (EHBs)
Qualified Health Plans (QHPs)
Definitions (cont’d)
HEALTH BENEFITS EXCHANGES (“EXCHANGES”)Publicly available, online marketplaces for
Individuals and small groups to purchase “affordable” health insurance coverage from
Qualified health plans (QHPs) that offer
Essential health benefits (EHBs) that must
Meet or exceed the specific benefits of each state’s benchmark plan.
Definitions (cont’d)
Health Benefits Exchanges (cont’d)
If a state declines to develop its own Exchange, one will be developed and run by the federal government.
Exchanges must be developed by October, 2013
Exchanges must begin serving consumers by January, 2014
Definitions (cont’d)
BENCHMARK PLANEach state must designate a benchmark health plan,
Chosen from among health plans already available in the state, to serve as a
Standard or benchmark plan for the state’s Exchange
Specific benefits of all individual and small group plans in the Exchange must meet or exceed the specific benefits in the benchmark plan
Definitions (cont’d)
Benchmark Plan (cont’d)
If a state does not select a benchmark plan -
A plan will be determined in accordance with default rules established by the Health and Human Services Administration (HHS)
Definitions (cont’d)
ESSENTIAL HEALTH BENEFITS (EHBs)A core set of specific, standard benefits
(health-related items and services)
Defined by the state’s designated benchmark plan
That must be offered in all individual and small group plans, including all plans available through the state’s Exchange
Definitions (cont’d)
ESSENTIAL HEALTH BENEFITS PACKAGEHealth insurance policies that provide the
core set of essential health benefits
Must also satisfy certain cost-sharing requirements
Definitions (cont’d)
QUALIFIED HEALTH PLANS (QHPs)
Essential health benefits packages that are properly accredited and certified as offering the 10 core essential health benefits as determined by the state’s benchmark plan by
NCQAURAC
Must all health plans provide Essential Health Benefits?NO
Health plans that are not required to provide essential health benefits are:
Self-insured, self-funded, or employer funded, group health plans
Health insurance offered in the large group markets (100 or more FTEs, or, at an individual state’s discretion, 50 or more FTEs)
Grandfathered health plans
Should plans that are not required to provide Essential Health Benefits pay attention to their state’s benchmark plan and EHBs?
YES
ALL plans in each state are prohibited from imposing
Annual dollar limitsLifetime dollar limits
on any of that state’s EHBs that are offered in the individual and small group insurance market
Should plans that are not required to provide Essential Health Benefits pay attention to their state’s benchmark plan and EHBs? (cont’d)
Large employers must also provide plans that offer “minimum value” – analogous to the actuarial value for EHB packages – to avoid imposition of an assessment
GOALS for affordable health care coverage: Individual and small group plans in Exchanges must
Encompass 10 specific categories of benefits that must be covered by all health insurance plans
Reflect balance among the 10 categories of benefits
Reflect typical employer health benefit services already existing within each state
Account for the diverse health needs across many populations within each state.
GOALS for affordable health care coverage: Individual and small group plans in Exchanges must (cont’d)
Ensure that no incentives for coverage decisions, cost sharing, or reimbursement rates discriminate impermissibly because of:
AgeDisabilityExpected length of lifeGenderPre-existing or chronic conditionsOccupation
GOALS for affordable health care coverage: Individual and small group plans in Exchanges must (cont’d)
Ensure premiums vary within limits, based only on broad age groups
ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH THE MENTAL HEALTH PARITY AND ADDICTION EQUITY ACT of 2008. This is expressly required!
Balance comprehensiveness and affordability
REGULATORY APPROACH for developing affordable health care products for Exchanges
BENCHMARK PLANSThe state’s Benchmark Plan must be modeled
on an existing, “typical employer plan” within the state
The Benchmark Plan: Select a currently available, “popular” employer-sponsored plan in each state (as defined by enrollment numbers), selected from 4 specific types of plans
Regulatory ApproachBenchmark Plans (cont’d)
Will serve as the standard for benefits in all 10 categories of required benefits
Supplement the selected Benchmark Plan’s coverage, as necessary, to ensure it covers each of the 10 categories of essential health benefits
Regulatory ApproachBenchmark plans (cont’d)
Plan TypesThe largest plan of any of the 3 largest small group
insurance plans in the state’s small group market (as defined by enrollment numbers)
Any of the largest 3 state employee health benefit plans (as defined by enrollment numbers)
Any of the largest 3 national Federal Employee Health Benefits Plan (FEHBP) options (as defined by enrollment numbers)
The largest insured commercial non-Medicaid HMO operating in the state.
Regulatory ApproachESSENTIAL HEALTH BENEFITS
10 BENEFIT CATEGORIES
All categories must be covered by all health plans offered in the individual and small group market, including those offered through an Exchange
Ambulatory care
Emergency services
Hospitalization
Maternity and newborn care
Regulatory ApproachEssential Health Benefits
10 Benefit Categories (cont’d)
Mental Health and substance use disorders, including behavioral health treatment
Prescription drugs
Rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices, e.g. for autism or cerebral palsy
Laboratory services
Preventive and wellness services and chronic disease management
Pediatric services, including oral and vision care
Regulatory ApproachEssential Health Benefits
MISSING CATEGORIESIf a category is missing from the designated
benchmark plan, it must still be covered in any health plan that is required to offer essential health benefits.
A state must supplement the benchmark plan to cover any of the 10 required categories by selecting the required benefits from
the largest plan in the designated benchmark type that offers the benefit category
The Federal Employee Health Benefit Plan with the largest enrollment
Regulatory ApproachEssential Health BenefitsSTATE MANDATESSome state-mandated benefits go above and beyond the
federal standards
If the benchmark plan’s essential health benefits don’t include all state coverage mandates:
A state may require individual and small group plans to cover the mandated benefit
The ACA requires the state to defray the cost of additional benefits in excess of a benchmark plan
If the mandates in excess of the benchmark plan were in effect by 12/31/11, they are deemed EHBs and not subject to a surcharge at least for the 2014 and 2015 benefit years
Regulatory Approach4 LEVELS OF ACTUARIAL VALUE
The “Metal Levels”Regulations adopt a standard methodology for
determining the level of coverage under a health plan
Small group and individual plans and plans on the Exchange must offer 4 levels of actuarial value, or levels of coverage, to the consumer – the “Metal Levels”
These levels of coverage will allow consumers to compare plans with similar levels of coverage, along with consideration of premiums, provider participation, etc., to help the consumer make an informed decision about expenses and benefits of a plan
Regulatory Approach4 Levels of Actuarial ValueThe “Metal Levels” (cont’d)
Define the levels of coverage
Provide an estimate of the overall financial protection provided by the health plan
Describe the portion of covered medical
expenditures across a “typical” or “standard” covered populationBronze = 60%Silver = 70%Gold = 80%Platinum = 90%
RESOURCES
Kaiser Family Foundation: www.kff.orgSelect “Topics” “Health Reform” www.statehealthfacts.org
The National Conference of State Legislatureswww.ncsl.org
/issues-research/health/state-implementation-entities-to-implement-the-aca.aspx
RESOURCES
The APA’s website for State Health Exchanges
www.psychiatry.org/statehealthexchanges
Watch for APA’s Rush Notes
Contact the APA’s Department of Government Relations (703-907-7800 or email at [email protected]) or the Office of Healthcare Systems and Financing (866-882-6227 or email at [email protected]) with specific questions