The National Academy of State Health Policy
The National Academy of State Health Policy (NASHP) is a nonpartisan resource that tracks numerous health trends in states, including ACA implementation, Medicaid, coverage, costs (including drug costs) and now COVID. They have reports, data, graphics – and accessible staff.
Online tool uses state, federal data to track marketplace enrollments
The federal government plans to release exchange enrollment figures once a month (here’s the first report), and they’re expected to give more demographic information (i.e. age, metal tier) in future updates. States have different timetables for releasing their statistics. To keep track of it all, the Kaiser Family Foundation has a new tool: the State Marketplace Statistics.
It has both the enrollment numbers as well as some other key stats to watch (when available):
- Completed applications
- Eligibility determinations, including how many people can enroll in a marketplace plan with financial assistance and how many qualify for Medicaid/CHIP
- How many have selected a plan
Insurance premium calculators
These can provide an estimate of what people will pay in premiums for insurance through the marketplaces. For real prices, reporters and consumers need to go through the official marketplaces. Read more about these estimates: “Calculator caution: Using online tools outside marketplaces can be unreliable”
Zeke Emanuel and Andrew Steinmetz wrote this op-ed describing two fairly sophisticated calculators that do a whole lot of what HealthCare.gov is supposed to do (calculating and shopping options but not all the verification that the government site has to do). One is on the website of Steve Morse. The other is called Value Penguin. When I plugged in the same scenarios in the two sites, I came up with fairly consistent price quotes and options for families without a subsidy. It was a little harder to compare with the subsidy. One gave actual quotes, while the other gave more general price limits with subsidies. The Kaiser Family Foundation also has a calculator that takes into account ZIP code, income, age, family size and other factors.
Health Insurance Marketplace Premiums for 2014
The HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation released an issue brief summarizing the health plan choices and premiums that will be available in the Health Insurance Marketplace. It contains information, current as of Sept. 18, 2013, on qualified health plans in the 36 states in which the Department of Health and Human Services will support or fully run the Health Insurance Marketplace in 2014. Plan data is in final stages but is still under review, so this information is subject to change. The analysis includes similar information that is publicly available from 11 states and the District of Columbia that are implementing their own Marketplace. Health Insurance Marketplace Premiums for 2014 Databook
Recorded Oct. 18, 2012
Experts discuss state decisions on reform
Just days after the November elections, states will have to make decisions about whether they are going to run their own health insurance exchange and what that will look like. States also are grappling with decisions about the essential benefits packages and Medicaid expansion. We talk to three experts who are doing hands-on work with both “red” and “blue” states.
A recording of this webcast is now available for AHCJ members. Log in to this page to access it.
This document (PDF) from the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight gives a good precise of the role and responsibilities of the exchanges, as well as how the states and federal government may divvy up the tasks. Particularly useful is the charge on page 5 explaining the five key functions of the insurance exchange:
- Consumer Assistance
- Plan Management/Selection
- Eligibililty (who goes into what program, what subsidies may apply)
- Enrollment
- Financial Management and the timetable on page 15 that shows what states have to do between now and 2014.
Updated CCIIO timeline for health exchange implementation.
Affordable Insurance Exchanges: from the HHS Center for Consumer Information & Insurance Oversight
Health Reform GPS: Health Insurance Exchanges: More technical information about health exchanges from Health Reform GPS.
Congressional Research Service report: Health Insurance Exchanges Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
Slashdot.org is a place to track what the self-described tech nerds are saying online about the cyber-infrastructure of the health insurance marketplaces. CAVEAT: We’re listing it here as site you might find interesting – we are not endorsing everything that’s posted on it or asserting that it’s accurate so be forewarned. It isn’t peer reviewed; it’s something that people post on, but those of you who speak tech as well as health might want to peruse it.