CMS BLOG
https://www.cms.gov/blog/healthcaregov-open-enrollment-lower-premiums-more-choices-easier-compare
October
31, 2019
By Seema Verma, Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
HealthCare.Gov Open Enrollment: Lower Premiums, More Choices,
Easier to Compare
I’m excited to share the
steps we’ve taken to lower premiums, offer more options, and make it easier
to compare choices this HealthCare.gov Open Enrollment season. Today marks
the beginning of the Open Enrollment period for the 2020 Plan Year on
HealthCare.gov. From now until December 15, consumers can log on to
HealthCare.gov and CuidadodeSalud.gov, or call 1-800-318-2596, to enroll in a
health plan for coverage in 2020.
Current enrollees who
don’t update their application and enroll in a plan by the December 15, 2019
deadline will be automatically enrolled in their same plan, or
another plan with the same issuer intended to be as similar as possible. If
that’s not available, they will be enrolled in another plan with a different
insurance company. Consumers who miss the deadline to re-enroll in a plan of
their choice during Open Enrollment will also not be able to make any plan
changes until the next coverage year, unless they qualify for certain Special
Enrollment Periods.
Providing
More Options
Faced with serious
problems – premiums doubling in price and insurers fleeing the market –
President Trump took action by issuing an Executive Order directing the
administration to give states more flexibility to stabilize their healthcare
markets. In response, CMS quickly issued regulations and guidance that
increased competition and choice, lowered costs, and gave more control back
to states, allowing them to innovate and advance their own solutions.
And it’s worked. I’m
pleased to report that consumers coming to HealthCare.gov to buy coverage
will find lower premiums and more choices for the second consecutive
year. The average premium for the second lowest cost silver plan on
HealthCare.gov for a 27-year-old will drop by 4 percent[i] next year. Also, more issuers will
be offering coverage on HealthCare.gov, bringing the total number to 175
issuers, compared to 132 in 2018.
Ahead of Open Enrollment,
users were able to preview these changes to plans and prices. On
October 25, 2019, CMS launched updates to window shopping, which allowed
consumers to preview 2020 plans and prices without logging in, creating an
account, or filling out the official application.
Lower premiums and more
choices will likely be the most obvious improvements consumers see when they
come back to HealthCare.gov, but they are by no means the only ones.
This year CMS is rolling out a number of new features and enhancements to
help consumers choose the coverage that’s right for themselves and their
families.
Driving
Quality Transparency
To help consumers when
they’re comparing health coverage choices, we’re excited to announce that for
the very first time, HealthCare.gov will display quality rating information
in all states that use HealthCare.gov. Under our 5 star Quality Rating
System, Exchange health plans will have an overall rating on a 1 to 5 scale,
with 5 stars representing the highest quality. When consumers view the list
of plans available in their area, the ratings will be automatically
displayed. The overall star rating is based on three categories: Medical
Care, Member Experience, and Plan Administration. In a few cases, such
as when plans are new to the Exchange, ratings aren’t available.
Quality ratings give consumers a snapshot of how an Exchange plan compares to
others in their state. For more information, please see the Exchanges Quality Rating System fact sheet.
Improving
Users’ Shopping Experience
HealthCare.gov consumers
will also benefit from a new visual experience when previewing plans and
shopping. Based on consumer research and feedback, we’ve refreshed how
consumers compare and enroll in plans on HealthCare.gov.
Many consumers around the
country will have access to Enhanced Direct Enrollment (EDE) throughout the
entire Open Enrollment Period for the very first time. This key
development allows CMS to partner with the private sector to provide more
avenues for consumers to apply and shop for coverage. The EDE pathway
gives consumers the option to enroll in an Exchange plan directly through an
approved issuer or
Introducing
a New Option to Finance Enrollees’ Care
Finally, new rules
released this year permit employers to fund individual market premiums for
their employees through Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) plans that
meet certain requirements. HRAs are employer-funded accounts from which
employees are reimbursed, tax-free, for qualified medical expenses. CMS is
adding educational information and a consumer worksheet tool to
HealthCare.gov to assist employees in determining whether to use an HRA from
their employer to help pay for individual market coverage.
on’t
Wait; Act Now
I strongly encourage
consumers to update their information, shop, and pick a plan that suits their
healthcare needs before the deadline on December 15. Since day one, the
Trump Administration’s goal has been to ensure that all Americans have access
to affordable, quality health coverage. Combined with our improvements
to the market, the updates to HealthCare.gov will make for a better consumer
experience with more choices.
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Get CMS news at cms.gov/newsroom, sign up for CMS news via email and follow CMS on Twitter CMS
Administrator @SeemaCMS, @CMSgov, and @CMSgovPress.
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Tuesday, November 5, 2019
HealthCare.Gov Open Enrollment: Lower Premiums, More Choices, Easier to Compare
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