Trump administration freezes billions in Obamacare payments, outraging advocates

[workinclasszero]

By POLITICO STAFF 07/08/2018 08:15 AM EDT Updated 07/08/2018 09:36 AM EDT

The Trump administration is freezing billions of dollars of payments to Obamacare health insurers, another blow to the fragile markets as health plans begin to set premiums and get ready for the next enrollment season.

The so-called risk adjustment payments are supposed to protect insurers from big losses. The health plans pay into a pool – this doesn’t involve tax dollars – and funds are transferred to insurers that ended up with many high cost patients. For 2017, $10.4 billion was involved.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said in a statement over the weekend it was halting the decision after a federal court in New Mexico court decided in February the payments were based on flawed rules. It also said it would appeal – particularly because another court in Massachusetts upheld the payments.

But Insurers said even a temporary, uncertain pause is damaging, and political opponents of the Trump administration took to Twitter to say it was part of a pattern of the GOP’s attempts to sabotage Obamacare, after failing to repeal it.

The trade group America's Health Insurance Plans said the “new market disruption" would create more uncertainty and drive up premiums for many health plans.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/08/insurance-obamacare-adjustment-payments-701907

[Fullduplexxx]

1. So many things were decided upon back in nov 2016

[workinclasszero]

3. Some people are going to forfeit their lives or their children's lives over that

Trump is just getting started. His SCOTUS will have an impact for decades to come no matter what society deems to be right.

Roe will fall and gay rights will be abolished. Dead girls from back alley abortions and being gay outlawed like it was not so long ago.

Health insurance for the rich only and full to the brim Trump concentration camps on our military bases. Its all on the way.

But her emails.............................

[underpants]

2. FYI

Trump stops payment on "Obamacare" risk adjustments - *FYI* different than risk corridors

Trump admin temporarily halting some payments under Obamacare program
https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/07/politics/wsj-aca-risk-adjustment/index.html

The Trump administration announced Saturday that it will temporarily halt billions of dollars in payments under the Affordable Care Act's risk adjustment program, a move that could shake up insurance markets.

The Wall Street Journal was the first to report the expected suspension of the payments. The payments insurers expected this fall, based on their 2017 business, amounted to $10.4 billion.

Risk adjustment is a key aspect of market stabilization under the ACA, also known as Obamacare. The program transfers funding from plans with lower-risk enrollees to higher-risk ones in an effort to even out the market and "encourage insurers to compete based on the value and efficiency of their plans rather than by attracting healthier enrollees," according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Sen Rubio is credited with stopping Risk Corridor payments in a 2015 Appropriations bill. It is in legal limbo now.
http://knowledge.Wharton.upenn.edu/article/significance-risk-corridors-lawsuits/




This Kaiser Family Foundation article explains the differences very plainly. Table 1 (can't copy it intact) lays it out very simply.
Adjustment, Reinsurance, and Risk Corridors
https://www.kff.org/health-reform/issue-brief/explaining-health-care-reform-risk-adjustment-reinsurance-and-risk-corridors/