AHIP Statement on ACA Implementation
For Immediate Release
November 20, 2012
Contact:
Robert Zirkelbach
202-778-8493
Ignagni: “The focus needs to be on affordability”
Washington, D.C. – America’s Health Insurance Plans
(AHIP) President and CEO Karen Ignagni released the following statement on
proposed rules released today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
on implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA):
“As implementation of the ACA moves forward, the focus needs
to be on affordability for consumers and employers. We appreciate that the
proposed rules issued today seek to minimize coverage disruption and we look
forward to working with the department to achieve this goal.
“For health insurance exchanges and new insurance market
rules to work, coverage needs to be affordable and there needs to be broad
participation in the system. While
additional flexibility on essential health benefits (EHB) is a positive step,
we remain concerned that many families and small businesses will be required to
purchase coverage that is more costly than they have today. It also is
important to recognize that the new EHB requirements will coincide with the new
restrictions in age rating rules that also go into effect on January 1,
2014. Both of these provisions may
incentivize young, healthy people to wait to purchase insurance until they are
sick or injured, driving up costs for everyone with insurance.
“We are currently reviewing the proposed regulations and
look forward to submitting detailed comments. We also will continue to work with members of Congress to repeal the
law’s $100 billion tax on health insurance that will further add to the cost of
coverage for families, small businesses, Medicare Advantage beneficiaries, and
Medicaid managed care plans.”
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Providing Health Benefits for Over 200 Million Americans.