Making Progress Toward a Health Insurance Exchange in Illinois

Last week was an important one for Illinois consumers and small businesses as lawmakers inched closer to establishing a state-run Health Insurance Exchange.  

Why is this important? As Timothy Jost, exchange expert writes in a Commonwealth Fund blog: “The health insurance exchange is the centerpiece of the private insurance reforms in the Affordable Care Act (ACA). If the exchanges function as planned, they will expand coverage to more Americans, reduce insurance costs, and improve the quality of coverage and perhaps of health care itself.”  However, if designed poorly, “experts warn, healthy people could avoid the exchanges, leaving them to sicker people with rising premiums."

First, some background:

On July 14, 2011, Senate bill 1555 was passed and signed by Governor Quinn, which created the Illinois Legislative Health Insurance Exchange Study Committee to aid in going forward with the establishment of a health insurance exchange (also known as the competitive insurance marketplace) in Illinois. The legislative study committee held five meetings, and commissioned two reports, one from Deloitte Consulting on the current state of healthcare in Illinois, and the second from HMA/Wakely Consulting Group, on the possible options and directions the exchange could take. On September 27, 2011, the Committee released a draft report of their findings from the five meetings and the two consultant reports. Although no definite decisions were made in the report, it is still the most substantive picture of the Illinois exchange to date.

Response to the Report:

Most of the report focused on the possibilities that Illinois must consider and decisions that must be made regarding the type of governance and the financing of the exchange. Many organizations weighed in with written comments in response to the report. Below are some of the issues and concerns that have been raised over the policy options outlined in the report:

·         The HMA/Wakely report listed two options for the operating model of the exchange: either as a “market organizer” or “market developer.” The market organizer approach means that the exchange would simply certify any health insurance plan that met the requirements for the exchange, relying on the competition of the marketplace to keep the cost of insurance down. The market developer style would have the exchange taking a more active approach to use their leveraging power in order to get the best possible value of plans from insurance agencies. Much support has been shown for the market developer option, aligning the exchange model with the interests of consumers for quality, affordable insurance.

·         Out of the three options presented for the governmental structure of the exchange, the overwhelming majority of opinions expressed have been in favor of a “quasi-governmental” model, as opposed to the “state-run” and “non-profit” models. The quasi-governmental model would keep the exchange in connection with other state-run agencies that it may need to coordinate with and promote a high level of transparency and accountability, while remaining a higher level of political neutrality.

·         The membership of the exchange governing board is one of the hot button topics in the report. The report underscores that members of the board should be well versed in the domain of health care, but should not have conflicts of interest, specifically noting that insurers, agents/brokers, HMOs, Prepaid Service Providers and other individuals with an interest in the Exchange should not be voting members of the board, though they could be members of an advisory committee. Some groups are advocating for a list of constituencies that must be represented on the board (for example, more representative of minority populations who are over-represented among the uninsured), while others think that a list of that nature would cause more problems for the board than it would solve.  Another major concern is whether or not legislators should be allowed on the board. Many groups have expressed their disapproval of legislators holding seats on the board – so that the exchange could be truly independent, non-partisan, and non-political — although some see their presence as non-voting members as a possibility. 

·         To finance the exchange, there are many options on the table, including charging consumers a fee to access the exchange, assessments on health plans offered in the new marketplace, assessments on all Illinois health insurance companies, the use of state general revenue, levying a fee on all health care stakeholders in the state (a list that could include prescription drug and medical supply companies, providers, hospitals, etc.), or assessing a progressive surtax on the revenues of all insurance providers. Many advocacy groups are against the idea of a fee to consumers, as the exchange targets those who are currently uninsured, who typically tend to have lower incomes, and could be put off or prevented from using the exchange if there is a fee. However, there are doubts that a funding option like the insurance revenue surtax would be approved. Some groups have stated that the best option might be for the enacting legislation to leave open the description of funding, so as to allow for multiple sources. 

Stay tuned! The final report will be issued this week and we’ll let you know if there are any changes.

Policy to the People - Illinois Policymakers Weigh In about ACA Implementation in Illinois

Health care reform in Illinois may originate from the federal law, the Affordable Care Act, but it is up to each state to implement many pieces of the law. For that reason, we made Illinois' implementation of health care reform the focus of our latest multimedia Neighborhood Stories series. The video, Policy to the People (by Jay Dunn) is the third in our series, and is accompanied by an article, Making Health the Best Policy (by Jeff Steele).

As health reform policies take shape in Illinois, it is important to make sure they benefit the citizens of the state. In the video, Senator Donne E. Trotter (IL -17th District) explains what he sees as necessary to keep policy geared towards the people, specifically those who are currently uninsured or underinsured. He advocates a “three pronged attack,” that involves policymakers, medical care providers and the citizens and health care consumers themselves, in the establishment of reform. “What we’re looking at,” Sen. Trotter explains, “is not as much what this law is going to do for people like myself, but for the future of America. We’re going to have a healthier society.”

The accompanying article, Making Health the Best Policy, explains the steps that Illinois policymakers have taken since 2010 to establish health care reforms right here in the Prairie State. Those who back the Affordable Care Act are attempting to impart positive messages, to counter the law's opponents working daily to ensure its provisions never go into effect.

We spoke to key policymakers in the Governor's Office, the Department of Health & Family Services (HFS) and the Illinois General Assembly about their vision of how reform will impact west and south siders' ability to gain insurance. Under the new health care law, HFS Director Julie Hamos says: “We believe there will be one million more people who will have access to private health insurance through the exchange, or public insurance through Medicaid...These are people who have not had a doctor, or a health checkup, in many years.” Michael Gelder, Governor Quinn's senior health policy advisor and Chair of the Illinois Health Care Reform Implementation Council says, “People on the west and south sides should see this as an opportunity to get health insurance. They should also see it as an opportunity to make their elected representatives, both federal and state, hear that they’re enthusiastic about [reform], and that they expect us to deliver on that.”

Check out these two great new pieces, as well as the other articles and videos in the Neighborhood Stories section of the Illinois Health Matters website, or on our new high quality Vimeo channel here. Stay tuned for the next installment where we look at how the Affordable Care Act is impacting local community organizations.

"Ask Wendell" - Things To Consider If You Are Looking for Health Insurance

Earlier this month I wrote that the Center for Public Integrity and I would soon launch "Ask Wendell" to help people who are at wits end trying to resolve a problem with their health insurer or who are trying to find decent affordable coverage but don't know where to find it.

Your emails and tweets starting flowing in immediately. As I suspected, there will be no shortage of problems to tackle in the weeks and months ahead. We in the United States have one of the most complicated, confounding and unfair health care systems on the planet. But I hope to be of at least a little help to the people who write. So here goes.

Dear Wendell,

Our COBRA will run out next June and I've started to look for something cheaper. My 24-year-old daughter and I both have some made-up preexisting conditions, according to a few insurance companies that we've applied to, even though my doctor says that mine is not even a medical problem.

This has prevented us from getting individual plans. My husband and I are self-employed and my daughter's employer doesn't provide insurance. I don't really want to go without insurance for six months in order to get on Pennsylvania's high-risk plan so I have been looking into an indemnity plan. I know it's not major medical, but (the company has) a plan called "Hospital Confinement and Surgical Fixed Indemnity Plan". The premium is lower but I'm not entirely sold on what I was told about it. Is this an OK avenue to pursue?

Audrey

Dear Audrey,

Your situation illustrates all too well why Americans who would like to go into business for themselves or to start a new business are reluctant to do so, especially if they've ever been sick in the past. That's what job lock is all about. Millions of our best and brightest are locked into corporate jobs because their employers offer health care benefits not available at an affordable price to small businesses and individuals.

That should change in 2014 when the state exchanges are up and running, as required under the health care reform law enacted last year. As you probably know, the law requires every state to have an exchange--an online marketplace where people can go to shop and compare health plans and buy coverage if it is not available to them through the workplace. If your state hasn't demonstrated by 2013 that it will have its exchange up and running by Jan. 1, 2014, the federal government will step in and operate it.

COBRA coverage--available to people who lose their jobs and, along with them, their employer-subsidized coverage--is extremely expensive, as you have found out. Federal law mandates that COBRA coverage is available to you, but because your former employer does not have to subsidize the premiums, you're on your own. As a result, only a small fraction of the people eligible for COBRA coverage takes advantage of it. And, of course, it runs out after several months.

The reform law also will eventually prohibit insurers from refusing to sell coverage to anyone because of a preexisting condition. The prohibition already applies to children. It will apply to adults in 2014. But because 2014 is still a long way off, your options are limited, unfortunately, as you have found out. The plan you are considering is a limited benefit plan. If the reform act is implemented as Congress intended, limited benefit plans, which are often very inadequate and often little more than junk insurance, will be phased out.

Before you decide, be sure you see in writing exactly what benefits are covered and what is excluded. Also be sure you know what your total costs will be, should you or a family member get sick or injured. Thousands of Americans lose their homes and file for bankruptcy because of medical debt, and many of those people have what they thought was adequate health insurance. They found out too late that it was not adequate--or they gambled too much that they would not get seriously sick or injured. The United States, by the way, is the only country in the developed world where people can go bankrupt and lose their homes because of medical debt.

Before making a final decision, I suggest you go to www.healthcare.gov. That's the new Web site created by the Department of Health and Human Services following the enactment of the reform law. This site has a wealth of information for anyone looking for coverage or who has questions about health care reform. When you visit the site, click on the tab, "Find Insurance Option." Then fill out the demographic information and hit "submit."

You will see a listing of the options available to you in your state and with at least some information that should help you make a more informed choice. You might find that you can qualify for better coverage than you thought.

But if you decide to go with the limited benefit plan, I suggest you call your state's insurance department and ask questions, such as how long the company has been operating in your state, how many complaints have been filed against them and how many enrollees they have in your state.

In 2014, if all goes as planned, you will have better options, and you'll be able to compare plans with each other in ways never before possible.

Good luck!

Wendell Potter
Analyst, Center for Public Integrity; Former insurance company executive; Author
(This article originally appeared here in the Huffington Post)

Have a health care question for Wendell? Email him at wpotter@iwatchnews.org

It’s Finally Happening

A legislative taskforce is working right now on ways to increase competition in the Illinois health insurance marketplace, and they’ll make recommendations by September 30th. Insurance lobbyists have come to Springfield to prevent anything that might mean more competition and better choices for Illinois consumers. 

Specifically, a Springfield legislative taskforce is considering setting up what is known as an insurance exchange. Done right, this will pool the buying power of hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans so all of us can get a better deal on health care. Done wrong, the exchange will be an ineffective website with the same expensive plans and spotty coverage.

Don't let the insurance industry undermine reform: Tell our state leaders to stand strong for Illinois consumers.

Done right, the exchange will level the balance of power between you and the health care industry — driving the industry to cut the waste and prioritize high quality, bang-for-the-buck care.

Done right, the exchange will also cut through the confusing clutter and allow you to compare different health care plans in a simple, apples to apples way. You'd even be able to take your plan from one job to another.

Done wrong, the exchange will be merely an online listing of the same over-priced plans and inadequate coverage.

The legislative taskforce will make recommendations by September 30th on how to create the exchange in Illinois. In the meantime, insurance lobbyists don’t want more competition and are working to kill an effective insurance exchange in our state.

Click here to make sure state officials hear from you.

Brian Imus
Illinois PIRG State Director

Medicaid Cuts Could Leave Hundreds of Thousands of Illinoisans Facing Life-Threatening Health Challenges

Report Details Number of Illinoisans with Cancer, Heart Disease, Stroke, Diabetes, and Chronic Lung Disease Who Depend on Medicaid for Treatment

Cuts to Medicaid would pose a specific and dangerous threat to hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans who depend on the program for regular treatment for such medical conditions as cancer, diabetes, chronic lung disease, heart disease, and stroke. Without Medicaid, many of these seriously ill Illinoisans would no longer be able to fill essential prescriptions, keep up with key screenings, or see a doctor if their condition worsens or recurs.

The importance of Medicaid to Illinoisans is detailed in a report released jointly today by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the American Diabetes Association, the American Lung Association, and the health care consumer group Families USA.

Hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans are covered by Medicaid. Of this number:

• An estimated 23,760 Illinoisans with Medicaid have cancer, including 1,000 children, 15,780 adults, and 6,980 seniors;
• An estimated 97,170 Illinoisans with Medicaid have diabetes, including 7,360 children, 64,490 adults, and 25,320 seniors;
• An estimated 263,750 Illinoisans with Medicaid have chronic lung diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cystic fibrosis, including 146,650 children, 100,610 adults, and 16,480 seniors; 
• An estimated 243,990 Illinoisans with Medicaid have heart disease or stroke, including 23,540 children, 164,600 adults, and 55,850 seniors.

Although Illinois directly administers its own Medicaid program, every dollar the state spends for health coverage for low-income individuals is matched dollar-for-dollar by the federal government. Particularly during difficult economic times, this federal match helps Illinois to provide health coverage for hundreds of thousands of residents.

The treatment of chronic and life-threatening diseases can be extremely costly, and people with these illnesses often become eligible for Medicaid when they have exhausted all their financial resources paying for medical care. As an example, the average hospital charge nationally for a stay associated with a heart attack is nearly $63,000, and for people with no health insurance or with inadequate coverage, such costs can quickly drive them into poverty and qualification for Medicaid.

“Hard-working Americans with diseases such as cancer can get health coverage through Medicaid after having lost their health insurance because they are too ill to work or run through their savings,” said Christopher Hansen, President of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. “This program is a safety net for American families, and losing access to the program could force them to stop treatment that could save their lives.”

“Diabetes has a disproportionate impact on the Medicaid population, because Medicaid provides important health coverage to people facing elevated health risks. Children and adults eligible for this valuable program are more likely to be in poor health and thus require the services Medicaid provides to a greater extent than individuals with private insurance,” said Gina Gavlak, RN, BSN, Vice Chair of the National Advocacy Committee, American Diabetes Association. “Cuts to Medicaid funding would be harmful to the millions of children, pregnant women, and adults with diabetes who rely on the program to manage their disease and avoid dangerous and costly diabetes complications such as blindness, amputations, and kidney dialysis.”

“Medicaid is the lifeline for millions of children, adults, and seniors who suffer from chronic lung disease such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cystic fibrosis,” said Paul Billings, Vice President of National Policy and Advocacy for the American Lung Association. “If denied this critical healthcare coverage, it will result in higher healthcare costs, such as increased emergency room visits. We need to set politics aside and protect the health of our nation’s most vulnerable population, particularly our children, who will be most impacted by cuts to Medicaid.”

“Medicaid is a program that works and a program that provides urgently needed care to hundreds of thousands of people in Illinois suffering from serious but controllable diseases. It helps Illinois children get a healthier start in life and school, it helps to maintain a healthy Illinois workforce, and it helps head off medical debt, a leading cause of bankruptcies and home foreclosures,” Ron Pollack, Executive Director of Families USA, said today. “It should be crystal clear that with rising health care costs hurting family pocketbooks and with the economic downturn driving more families to depend on Medicaid, that this is precisely the wrong time to cut Medicaid funding to Illinois and other states.”

Families USA contracted with The Lewin Group to develop the estimates in this report.

Dave Lemmon, Families USA, 202-628-3030
Alissa Havens, Anerican Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
Christine Fehely, American Diabetes Association
Mary Havell, American Lung Association

5 Ways Health Care Reform Will Benefit Illinois Small Businesses

Illinois has strong, vibrant neighborhoods and small businesses play a vital part in those communities. However, while small businesses are working to meet their bottom line, it can be challenging for them to afford to provide health insurance for their employees. According to the Small Business Majority, an average of 86% of small businesses owners who don't offer health coverage to their employees say they can't afford to provide it. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has put into place reforms – some right now and some rolling out later – that will make it easier for the owners of small businesses to buy affordable insurance. Below we list five ways that health care reform will benefit Illinois small businesses and their employees.


At Ruby's Restaurant, Health Care May Be On The Table - Images by Jay Dunn

1. RIGHT NOW: Since March 2010, tax credits are being offered to small businesses owners with 25 or fewer full time equivalent employees in order to help them offset the costs of providing health insurance. Until 2014, small businesses who pay for at least half of their employees’ health care premiums will receive a tax credit to offset 35% of those premium costs. Starting in 2014, the tax credit will increase: for those small businesses who buy insurance through the insurance exchange (see #5 below), the tax credit increases to 50%. September 15th is an important deadline for filing so check out the tax credit calculator here to see if you are eligible.

2. RIGHT NOW: Small businesses often struggle with unpredictable and often steep health insurance premium increases from year to year. One of the priorities of the Affordable Care Act is to implement consumer protections so that insurance companies are more transparent and accountable with things like premium increases. As of September 1, 2011, health insurers seeking to increase their premium rates by 10 percent or more must submit their request to state or federal reviewers to determine whether they are reasonable or not. This rate review program will bring more predictability to health insurance costs and in many cases will lower costs for small business owners.

3. RIGHT NOW: Many small business owners cannot purchase affordable insurance, because they have a pre-existing condition. A pre-existing condition is a physical or mental health condition, disability or illness that you have before you enrolled in a health plan. If you or your employees are uninsured and have a pre-existing condition, you may be eligible for the Illinois Pre Existing Condition Insurance Plan, which is an insurance plan that was established by the Affordable Care Act. Questions? Call the Toll Free Number: (877) 210-9167, or email your question directly to IPXPInquiry@healthalliance.org.

4. LATER: Under the Affordable Care Act, denying health coverage or excluding benefits due to a pre-existing condition will no longer be allowed. As a result, if you have a pre-existing condition that has prevented you from buying affordable insurance for yourself and your employees, on January 1, 2014, it will not make you uninsurable any longer. This change is already in place for children under age 19.

5. LATER: The new health reform law establishes a competitive healthcare marketplace, commonly known as an “insurance exchange” run by each state or the Federal government. Slated to be up and running by the beginning of 2014 in Illinois, the Exchange will make purchasing insurance easier for individuals and small businesses by giving them the power to compare health care plans in one digital hub. The Exchange will also ensure that quality health insurance options are available – and that subsidies are also available to those who need them. These online marketplaces will create competition among insurance companies that will help to drive down the costs of insurance. More information about Illinois’ progress toward establishing an Exchange, can be found here.

If you have questions about the new health care law and how it affects you or your small business, submit your questions here and we will write you back.

An employee and customer at Ruby’s. The owners of the restaurant currently can’t afford to pay for health insurance for their employees, but that could change with the Affordable Care Act reforms

Common Questions about the Competitive Health Care Marketplace

If done well, proponents say, the Competitive Health Care Marketplace (formerly called the insurance exchange) would make it easier to buy health insurance and lead to lower prices because of increased competition. But, if designed poorly or if this process is controlled by the insurance industry and their friendly allies in the Illinois General Assembly, experts warn, healthy people could avoid the exchanges, leaving them to sicker people with rising premiums.

Here are some common questions:

What is a Competitive Health Care Marketplace, as envisioned by the health law?
It's a marketplace where individuals and small employers will be able to shop for insurance coverage. They must be set up by Jan. 1, 2014. The exchanges will also direct people to Medicaid if they're eligible.

Will all states have Competitive Health Care Marketplaces?
States have the option of setting up their own Competitive Health Care Marketplace, forming coalitions with other states to create regional exchanges - or opting out altogether. In that case, the federal government will run the Competitive Health Care Marketplace for their residents.

Will anyone be allowed to buy from the Competitive Health Care Marketplace?
No. Initially, exchanges will be open to individuals buying their own coverage and employees of firms with 100 or fewer workers (50 or fewer in some states). Most Americans will continue to get insurance through their jobs, not via the Competitive Health Care Marketplace. The Congressional Budget Office estimates 11.5 million people will use the Competitive Health Care Marketplace in 2014 and 27.1 million in 2018. Most will be people who are eligible for subsidies, which will average an estimated $4,600 per person in 2014. Undocumented immigrants will be barred from buying insurance on the Competitive Health Care Marketplace.

What about federal workers?
Members of Congress and their staffs will be required to buy through Competitive Health Care Marketplace if they want coverage from the federal government. Other federal employees won't be required to use a Competitive Health Care Marketplace.

Will exchanges be like travel websites or some existing health insurance sites? In some ways. People will be able to compare policies sold by different companies. Purchasing insurance is complex and can be confusing, so information on the plan benefits will be standardized in an effort to make it easier to compare cost and quality. Plans will be divided into four different types, based on the level of benefits: bronze, silver, gold and platinum.

What will the coverage sold on the Competitive Health Care Marketplace look like?
Plans will have to offer a set of "essential benefits." Those details, still being developed by the Obama administration, will include hospital, emergency, maternity, pediatric, drug, lab services and other care. Annual cost-sharing, or the amount consumers must fork over before insurance payments kick in, will be capped at the amounts allowed for health savings accounts -- currently, nearly $6,000 for individual policies and $12,000 for family plans.

How much will the policies cost?
The premiums will vary by type of plan and location. Insurers won't be able to charge more based on gender or health status. They will be able to charge older people up to three times more than younger ones.

Will the states negotiate premiums with the insurers?
The law doesn't require states to set or negotiate premiums. However, states may have some influence over prices. For example, states can decide whether to open the Competitive Health Care Marketplace to all insurers, or to limit the number. State insurance commissioners will be able to recommend whether specific insurers should be allowed to sell in the Competitive Health Care Marketplace, partly based on their patterns of rate increases.

What if I can't afford the premiums?
People who earn less than 133 percent of the federal poverty level, $14,484 this year, will qualify for Medicaid in all states, under the law. Above that, sliding scale subsidies for private insurance on the exchanges will be available for residents who earn up to 400 percent of the poverty level, about $43,560 this year. Most people will be required to have coverage of some sort beginning in 2014.

Will all insurers have to offer policies through the Competitive Health Care Marketplace?
No. Insurers won't be required to sell through the Competitive Health Care Marketplace.

Will all state Competitive Health Care Marketplaces be the same?
No. States can design their Competitive Health Care Marketplace differently, an issue that's sparking debate in statehouses nationwide. Some states may choose to set additional standards for insurers beyond the federal law. Another important issue: The makeup and power of the governing boards overseeing the Competitive Health Care Marketplace. Some states, such as Maryland, are considering barring insurance industry and sales agents from their governing boards. Others, like North Carolina, have pending legislation that includes representatives from those groups on their governing boards.

Kathleen Duffy
Campaign for Better Health Care