“Medicare head Seema Verma has claimed that an expansion of short-term health plans wouldn’t have much of an impact on exchange enrollment, premiums or spending, but a study from her own agency, says that’s not true.”
“The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said in the February proposed rule that a change in the time duration of short-term health plans would only move 100,000 to 200,000 people from the ACA marketplace to such plans.”
“However, a report (PDF) by Medicare’s own chief actuary, Paul Spitalnic, whose independence is legally protected, found that 1.8 million would elect short-term coverage, with almost half, about 800,000, coming from the marketplace. That projection is at least four times higher than Verma’s estimate. Additionally, 600,000 would leave the marketplace starting next year.”
“The report also said…” Read the full article here.
Source: CMS actuary undermines Verma: Short-term plans lead to higher premiums, steeper enrollment drops – By Mike Stankiewicz, May 16, 2018. FierceHealthcare.
