Last week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced efforts to make it easier for rural healthcare providers to access funding for high-speed broadband connections and telecommunications services.  Four new proposals for the FCC’s Rural Health Care Program are intended to make it easier for providers to receive support, reduce delays in funding commitments, and improve the overall efficiency of the program.  Public response to FCC proposals in February 2022 brought about the current changes that include the way service rates are determined and invoiced.  The Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking announced on January 26 includes fine-tuning rules for determining rural and urban rates, and making it easier for healthcare providers to receive funding as soon as they become eligible.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a Special Enrollment Period for qualified beneficiaries of Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Between March 31, 2023, and July 31, 2024, CMS will allow Marketplace-eligible consumers to submit a new application or update an existing application through HealthCare.gov. A recently released study, conducted pre-pandemic, showed that nearly two-thirds of disenrolled beneficiaries had a period of uninsurance.  Healthcare providers and other community-based organizations can assist with outreach to individuals and families who may lose coverage. To help you better understand what states can do, the nonprofit State Health & Value Strategies provides two resources for state Medicaid agencies, state-based marketplaces, labor departments, and employers.  The first is an issue brief discussing strategies for helping people understand and navigate their coverage options.  A companion brief describes the importance of a Medicaid disenrollment survey to monitor coverage changes (p. 4) associated with the unwinding of continuous enrollment.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced a Marketplace Special Enrollment Period (SEP) for qualified individuals and their families who are losing Medicaid coverage due to the end of the “continuous enrollment condition” – also known as “unwinding.”*

This SEP, referred to as the “Unwinding SEP,” will allow individuals and families in states served by HealthCare.gov and who are impacted by unwinding, to enroll in Marketplace coverage. CMS will update Marketplace enrollment platforms (HealthCare.gov and Direct Enrollment/Enhanced Direct Enrollment pathways) so that Marketplace-eligible consumers who submit a new application or update an existing application between March 31, 2023 and July 31, 2024 and attest that they have lost Medicaid or CHIP coverage at any point during this time period are eligible for this Unwinding SEP. Consumers who are eligible for the Unwinding SEP will have 60 days after they submit or update their application to select a plan with coverage that starts the first day of the month after they select a plan. For example, if someone selects a plan on August 20, their coverage will start on September 1.

To read the FAQs about this new SEP, click the link. Medicaid Unwinding SEP FAQs

As a reminder, millions of consumers may soon be eligible for Marketplace coverage, and you should be ready to assist them! Many consumers who lose Medicaid coverage will be directed to apply for coverage through the Marketplace. Redeterminations can begin as early as February 1 with the first terminations effective April 1. People who receive advance notice of an April 1 termination may start enrolling in Marketplace coverage immediately to ensure continuity of coverage.

The Marketplace will continue to share updates and information for assisters throughout the coming months regarding the Unwinding Period. To learn more, see this CMS Informational Bulletin.

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) and the Departments of Labor and the Treasury (Departments) proposed a rule to strengthen access to birth control coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  Under the ACA, most plans are required to offer coverage of birth control with no out-of-pocket cost.  To date, millions of women have benefited from this coverage. Today’s rule proposes to expand and strengthen access to this coverage so that all women who need or want birth control are able to obtain it. The action is the latest effort by the Biden-Harris Administration to bolster access to birth control at no cost.

The ACA and its implementing regulations guarantee coverage of women’s preventive services, including birth control and contraceptive counseling, at no cost for women who are enrolled in group health plans or individual health insurance coverage.

The proposed rules are part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to ensuring access to reproductive health care and follows earlier action to expand access to birth control and family planning services. HHS, the Department of Labor, and the Department of the Treasury previously convened a meeting with health insurers and called on the industry to commit to meeting their obligations to provide contraceptive coverage as required by the ACA. The Departments also issued guidance to clarify protections for birth control coverage under the ACA following multiple states’ efforts to restrict access to contraception in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. HHS also announced nearly $3 million in new funding to bolster training and technical assistance for the nationwide network of Title X family planning providers.

• To review or comment on the proposed rules during its 60-day public comment period, visit the Federal Register.
• For more information on the proposed rules, consult the fact sheet available at https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/coverage-certain-preventive-services-under-affordable-care-act-proposed-rules.
• In addition, HHS also recently released a report entitled: “Marking the 50th Anniversary of Roe: Biden-Harris Administration Efforts to Protect Reproductive Health Care,” which outlines the actions HHS has taken in the face of the health crisis precipitated by the Dobbs decision.

The full report can be read at https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/roe-report.pdf – PDF.