Posted on August 23, 2011 15:21
Categories: Legislative and Regulatory Issues | Employer and Individual Insurance
Topics: Health Care Reform | Individual Coverage | Regulation
On August 3, the National Health Council (NHC) released an actuarial analysis estimating cost sharing requirements under the national health care reform law’s essential benefits package. Currently under development by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO), the essential benefits package will outline the basic coverage package that insurers must offer in the law’s health exchanges. Employing a model based on the Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) Standard Option plan offered through the Federal Employee Health Benefit Program (FEHBP), the analysis suggests that even beneficiaries qualifying for subsidized coverage may have difficulty affording coverage if they have a chronic condition. The report encourages HHS officials to ensure that the package offers a continuum of patient protections that grant beneficiaries access to affordable, quality health coverage.
From the report:
The Affordable Care Act offers limited guidance about the essential health benefits (EHB) package, the minimum standard benefit design for private health insurance coverage. As the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO) finalizes the federal regulations establishing EHB policy, the National Health Council (NHC) offers its perspective that the regulations should define not only a fair and balanced benefit but also strong patient protections for the millions of people with chronic diseases and disabilities and their family caregivers who will rely on EHB policies.
Full report: A United Patient Voice on Essential Health Benefits (PDF | 505 KB)
National Health Council. (2011). A united patient voice on essential health benefits.
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