The Complexity of Unwinding Medicaid
The long-heralded Medicaid “unwinding” has begun. As previously reported, state Medicaid programs have, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, operated under a law that prohibited them from disenrolling Medicaid enrollees for the duration of the public health emergency (PHE). Congress changed that requirement in December 2022, delinking the Medicaid continuous enrollment obligation from the PHE. […]
Word from Washington: January 2023
HFA reports on a particularly concerning insurance problem unfolding in Tennessee, and how HFA is responding; news on Medicaid eligibility reviews; changes in blood donation policy; and much more.
Word from Washington: December 2022
On December 23rd, Congress passed a $1.7 trillion year-end spending package that averts a government shutdown and funds the government through September 2023. The 4,000+ page omnibus bill contains numerous important health provisions affecting Medicaid, telehealth, the accelerated approval pathway for new drugs, and more. The legislation sets a date (April 1, 2023) for the […]
Word from Washington: November 2022
Midterm elections are mostly wrapped up as November draws to a close. The race between Sen. Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker heads to a runoff in early December, but regardless of the outcome in that contest, control of the U.S. Senate remains – narrowly – with the Democrats. Control of the House of Representatives, by […]
Open Enrollment For Insurance Plans Begins Again
Open enrollment is a time frame each year when health insurance plans are required by law to accept applications from new plan enrollees regardless of their health history. This also is the time when you can choose to stay with your existing health plan if it is the right one for you. Open enrollment dates […]
Statement from Patient Groups in Response to Court Ruling on Cost-Free Coverage of Preventive Health Services
HFA and 25 other patient groups issued the following statement in response to Wednesday's court ruling in Braidwood v. Becerra (a lawsuit formerly known as Kelley v. Becerra): "The ruling on September 7 by a federal district judge in Texas could significantly undermine access to required cost-free coverage for preventive services in the Affordable Care […]
34 Patient Groups: Preservation of protections is an important win – but critical work remains
Thirty-four patient organizations representing millions of people living with serious and chronic health conditions issued the following statement regarding the Supreme Court’s ruling upholding the Affordable Care Act: “Patients across the country are finally breathing a sigh of relief. For years, they’ve faced uncertainty about the future of the landmark law that’s enabled millions of […]
Patient Groups Praise Administration’s Action to Preserve Protections Against Discrimination for LGBTQ Patients
Washington, D.C. – More than a dozen patient groups representing millions of Americans with serious and chronic health conditions are praising the Biden administration’s action to preserve protections in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) patients receiving health care services. The groups filed an amicus brief in a […]
Word from Washington: HFA Joins with 32 Other Patient Groups Urging Policymakers to Adopt a “Patient-First” Policy Agenda
A coalition of 33 organizations representing millions of people with pre-existing conditions today released a blueprint listing their top health care priorities for the next Administration. The report elevates the collective voices of patients and urges elected officials to ensure all people living in the United States, including those with pre-existing conditions, have access to […]
Word From Washington: Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, Supplement Security Income & Medicaid
HFA has received several questions regarding whether the enhanced unemployment benefits that the federal government provides during the national coronavirus emergency could adversely impact people who have Medicaid coverage by virtue of the fact that they receive disability benefits under the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. SSI recipients are allowed to work in limited situations. If […]