CMS is looking for public input on how to regulate and operate the sale of health insurance coverage across state lines. The agency published a request for information (RFI) on March 6 with a public comment period of 60 days.
The RFI builds on the Trump administration’s pursuits of lowering healthcare insurance premiums by increasing competition in the marketplaces. In October 2017, President Trump issued an executive order, Promoting Healthcare Choice and Competition Across the United States, that directly instructed the facilitation of purchasing health insurance across state lines.
“Americans are in desperate need of more affordable health insurance options,” CMS Administrator Seema Verma said in a statement. “Eliminating the barriers to selling health insurance coverage across state lines could help provide access to a more competitive and affordable health insurance market.”
Specifically, the agency is seeking feedback on how to change the existing system and how states can utilize Section 1333 of the Affordable Care Act, which establishes a framework to allow two or more states to sell insurance across state lines through a Health Care Choice Compact. CMS is aiming to expand access to insurance coverage across states lines and understand the financial impacts.
“We are looking for information and ideas from the public on how to create a more dynamic health insurance market with more insurers participating and competing to meet the needs of the American people just like we see in markets for so many other products and services that enhance our daily lives,” Verma said.
Find the RFI here.
Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."