Tennessee & the Public Health Marketplace
Although Tennesseans make up less than 2 percent of the total Healthcare.gov enrollees, the state’s numbers did exceed projections with 151,400 signing up by the end of the open enrollment period.
The findings from a May report by Avalere Health and based on estimates from the Congressional Budget Office found Tennessee beat projections by about a little more than 36,000 people. Even counting for attrition due to nonpayment of premiums, Avalere’s analysis finds Tennessee, along with 21 other states, met or exceeded exchange enrollment expectations.
Nationally, the percentage of Americans without health insurance has fallen significantly since last year, holding steady at a new low of 13.4 percent for May and April. According to a Gallup survey released in early June, the uninsured in the U.S. dropped from 17.4 percent in the last quarter of 2013 when HealthCare.gov launched to 15.6 percent in the first quarter of 2014 before eventually landing at 13.4 percent.
The report finds blacks and Hispanics saw the sharpest decline in the rate of uninsured, though Hispanics remain the most uninsured key demographic at 33.1 percent. Those between ages 26 and 34, considered to be key to the success of the new healthcare law, still have the highest uninsured rate at almost 30 percent as compared to other age groups. Overall, however, the 13.4 percent rate of uninsured is the lowest Gallup has recorded since it began collecting the data in 2008.
Major Health Plans Move to Foster Greater Transparency
In May, the Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI) announced it will work with three of the nation’s largest health insurance companies – Aetna, Humana and UnitedHealthcare – to develop and provide consumers free access to an online tool offering comprehensive information about the price and quality of healthcare services.
The independent, not-for-profit HCCI will create and administer the information portal, which is expected to be available in early 2015. The health benefit companies will provide information on healthcare costs to HCCI, which will maintain and manage access to the information in a highly secure, protected environment. Based on interest expressed, HCCI expects additional carriers to sign on prior to the initial release. Participating insurers will continue to offer their own cost transparency tools and solutions, as well.
“Consumers, employers and regulatory agencies will now have a single source of consistent, transparent healthcare information based on the most reliable data available, including actual costs, which only insurers currently have,” said David Newman, executive director of HCCI
Healthcare costs have been rising more than three times as fast as wages. Official estimates project U.S. health spending will reach $4.7 trillion by the end of the decade … an 80 percent increase from $2.6 trillion in 2010 … underscoring the need to better understand the prices of healthcare services to help make decisions and choices about purchasing care.
The information will be available to consumers, employers and other purchasers, providers, regulators and payers in an accessible, easy-to-use format.
Aetna Redesigns Provider Education Website
Earlier this year, Aetna launched an updated provider education website designed to make life easier for healthcare professionals who interact with Aetna every day. The new, easier-to-navigate AetnaEducation.com provides tools, resources and answers to common questions that can help medical professionals care for Aetna members, do business with Aetna, and navigate the healthcare system.
The site offers a selection of courses on topics like cultural competency, the changing healthcare marketplace, and administrative topics such as coding and credentialing. Content can quickly be accessed through enhanced search functionality. Providers can also browse a collection of ‘bite-sized’ tutorials without needing a user name or password for most content. The site also features free training on timesaving tools, including Aetna’s solutions for online precertification, account management, electronic explanation of benefits and more.
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