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ACAP Offers Proposals for New Administration, Congress to Improve Medicaid, Medicare, and Insurance Marketplaces
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 1, 2020
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Jeff Van Ness, (202) 204-7515, jvanness@communityplans.net
ACAP OFFERS PROPOSALS FOR NEW ADMINISTRATION, CONGRESS TO IMPROVE MEDICAID, MEDICARE, AND INSURANCE MARKETPLACES
WASHINGTON—The Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP) recently released a suite of policy proposals for the Biden Administration and the 117th Congress aimed at strengthening Medicaid and CHIP, Medicare, and the health insurance Marketplaces.
“As the health care system continues to bear the weight of the COVID-19 crisis, ACAP stands ready to help the incoming Administration and Congress to provide relief to plans, providers, and consumers,” said ACAP CEO Margaret A. Murray. “As we have with the current Administration, ACAP will continue to advocate for policies that stabilize the safety net and promote access to comprehensive, affordable coverage.”
The policy proposals include:
- Increase the FMAP during the ongoing pandemic and enact a permanent countercyclical FMAP bump for future times of economic downturn and need.
- Pass 12 months of continuous Medicaid eligibility.
- Improve actuarial soundness in rate-setting for managed care organizations.
- Allow for more opportunities for D-SNPs to address social determinants of health, by redesigning Star Ratings groups, adding SDOH indicators to the risk adjustment models, and/or allowing for more flexible use of the Special Supplemental Benefits for the Chronically Ill.
- Limit short-term, limited duration plans and require their coverage terms to expire on December 31 of each year.
- Support automatic or semi-automatic enrollment processes for Medicaid and CHIP as well as the Marketplaces.
- Improve APTC availability, particularly for younger consumers.
“These are pragmatic and non-partisan options to rebuild consumer protections weakened or lost during the past four years and to make Medicaid, Medicare and Marketplace coverage work better for the millions of Americans who rely on it,” added Murray. “ACAP and Safety Net Health Plans look forward to discussing these policies with anyone in the new Administration or on the Hill.”
Find the full list of proposals at communityplans.net/transition.
About ACAP:
ACAP represents 78 health plans, which collectively provide health coverage to more than 20 million people. Safety Net Health Plans serve their members through Medicaid, Medicare, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), the Marketplace and other publicly-sponsored health programs. For more information, visit www.communityplans.net.
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