In the News/Media Activities
The national news media has turned to the Academy for insight into the Supreme Court’s decision in King v. Burwell expected in June, as well as 2016 health insurance rate requests following the Department of Health and Human Services’ publication of 2016 rate filing information reflecting double-digit increases for some plans sold on ACA health insurance exchanges.
The analysis contained in the HPC’s new issue brief, Implications of Proposed Changes to the ACA in Response to King v. Burwell, has been a major topic of discussion in the national news media and on Capitol Hill. The Wall Street Journal was among the numerous outlets that included Academy analysis in reporting on proposals to modify ACA in light of a possible decision eliminating federal premium subsidies in states participating in the federally facilitated marketplace. Other notable outlets included The Washington Post, Bloomberg, The Fiscal Times, and U.S. News & World Report. A McClatchyDC story citing the brief was published in dozens of local newspapers across the country.
A follow-up piece by McClatchyDC also published by numerous local papers cites the Academy’s issue brief as it outlines the potential implications of the court’s decision. And a Kaiser Health News story published by Time magazine, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and National Public Radio also cites the Academy’s issue brief in breaking down the implications of the case.
Separately, more than 300 media outlets nationwide have published an Associated Press story that cites HPC Vice President Catherine Murphy-Barron’s comments on possible premium rate changes in some states, saying, “The increase is not the right thing to be looking at, it’s the general level of the premiums of everyone in that market at that tier.” The story appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, CNBC, and numerous other national and local outlets.
Senior Health Fellow Cori Uccello provided perspective on the factors affecting 2016 rates in a subscriber-only story for the Inside Health Insurance Exchanges May 2015 newsletter. In light of the ACA risk adjustment program, Uccello noted the importance to insurers of knowing how their risk profiles compare to those of the whole market.
The National Law Review mentions the Academy in a story examining the CMS’ proposed new rule for Medicaid managed care regulations. The story notes that the proposed rule would require Medicaid managed care rate setting to be actuarially sound “to incorporate standards previously included in non-binding guidance issued by the American Academy of Actuaries.” The story also ran in JD Supra. See the May 27 Academy Alert for more information on the proposed rule.
Other work from the HPC gaining media attention this month includes the issue brief Potential Implications of the Small Group Definition Expanding to Employers with 51-100 Employees, which was cited in a Live Well Nebraska story and a Third Way blog post that looks at the effects of the ACA’s redefinition of “small group,” as well as a Commonwealth Fund Blog post that explores the implications of the ACA provision. | 
On May 26, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a 
