Health Payer Intelligence January 3, 2018
Legislative changes to the Affordable Care Act will impact payers in the individual health plan market and add to the challenge of remaining profitable.
2017 was a turbulent year for the Affordable Care Act. Legislative battles in Congress, fluctuating support from healthcare stakeholders, and threats of repeal have left many payers facing an uncertain future.
Even though Congress has not yet succeeded in scrapping the law, the ACA’s opponents will likely continue to use all of their available powers to weaken the bill throughout 2018.
Lawmakers have already removed several key pillars of the legislation, including the individual mandate and the cost-sharing reductions, while adding uncertainty through alternative coverage pathways like association health plans (AHPs).
The 2017-2018 open enrollment period...