In Wake of New Association Health Plan Standards, States Are Acting to Protect Consumers, Providers, and Markets
This summer, federal officials issued regulations to make it easier for groups to form association health plans (AHPs) and to offer this less regulated coverage to small businesses and the self-employed.
In new post on To the Point, Kevin Lucia and colleagues at Georgetown University’s Center for Health Insurance Reforms explain that the new rule forges a new pathway to creating AHPs and skirting many Affordable Care Act protections. But the rule also reaffirms that states have “broad authority” over these plans.
Nearly half of states have responded to the new federal standards, with more likely to follow. In reviewing 14 of these states, the authors find that while nearly all are allowing AHPs to form under the new federal pathway, most are creating additional requirements designed to protect consumers, providers, and health insurance markets.
Employer of small business who may be part of association health plan_1x1 Read the post In Wake of New Association Health Plan Standards, States Are Acting to Protect Consumers, Providers, and Markets