The Trump Administration’s New Marketplace Rules: Regulatory Simplification or More Complexity for Consumers?
<p>The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) this week released its final health insurance marketplace rule for the 2019 plan year. In a new post on <em>To the Point</em>, the Commonwealth Fund’s Sara Collins says that although the stated goal is simplification, the rule is likely to add more complexity while leaving people with less help by reducing the number of required enrollment navigators per state. </p><p>The rule eliminates “simple choice" plans from the marketplaces. These plans were designed to simplify the shopping experience for consumers and improve access to care, Collins explains. Simple choice plans have fixed deductibles, out-of-pocket limits, copayments or coinsurance, and pre-deductible coverage for critical services and prescription drugs.</p>
<p>Several state-based marketplaces like Covered California offer standardized health plans and won’t be affected by the new rule. “While HHS has retreated from its experiment with standard plans, states that run their own marketplaces can continue to innovate,” Collins writes.</p>