Administration Expanding Access to Healthcare in 2024

1. Visit our website: Click here Follow us: Administration Expanding Access to Healthcare in 2024 Strengthening Affordable Care Act (ACA) Recently, the Biden-Harris Administration released the 2024 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters Proposed Rule that aims to further advance the Administration’s efforts to build on the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) efforts to provide and expand access to quality healthcare options for millions of consumers. This proposed rule would increase access to health care services, simplify choice and improve the plan selection process, and make it easier to enroll in coverage. The current administration has taken historic action to expand access to health care, and the Affordable Care Act Marketplace provides millions of Americans vital coverage. Let’s see how the administration is expanding access to healthcare in 2024. Expanding Access to Behavioral Health The current administration has made expanding access to behavioral health care a top priority. As part of that effort, the proposed rule includes two new major essential community provider (ECP) categories that are critical to delivering needed behavioral health care: Substance Use Disorder Treatment Centers and Mental Health Facilities. The rule also furthers access to Copyright © Medical Billers and Coders. All Rights Reserved Call now 888-357-3226 (Toll Free) info@medicalbillersandcoders.com 1

2. Visit our website: Click here Follow us: providers by including a proposal to extend the current overall 35 percent provider participation threshold to two major ECP categories: Federally Qualified Health Centers and Family Planning Providers. These changes, in conjunction with a proposal to expand Network Adequacy requirements, would increase provider choice, advance health equity, and expand access to care for consumers who have low income, complex or chronic healthcare conditions, or who reside in underserved areas, as these consumers are often disproportionately affected by unanticipated costs associated with provider network status and limited access to providers. Improving Health Plan Selection Process The rule includes proposals to make it easier for consumers to pick a health plan that best fits their needs and budget by updating designs for standardized plan options and limiting the number of non-standardized plan options offered by issuers of qualified health plans (QHPs) through the Federally-facilitated Marketplaces (FFMs) and State-based Marketplaces on the Federal Platform (SBM-FPs). The average number of plans available to consumers on the Marketplace has increased from 25.9 in PY2019 to 113.6 in PY2023. Having too many plans to choose from can limit consumers’ ability to make a meaningful selection when comparing plan offerings. Streamlining the plan selection process would make it easier for consumers to evaluate plan choices available on the Marketplaces and to select a health plan that best fits their unique health needs. Ease of Enrollment The proposed rule would give the Marketplaces the option to implement a new rule for the special enrollment period for people losing Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage. This option would mean that consumers would have 60 days before, or 90 days after, their loss of Medicaid or CHIP coverage to select a Marketplace plan. The administration believes that this new proposed special rule would help mitigate coverage gaps when consumers lose Medicaid or CHIP while allowing for a more seamless transition into Marketplace coverage. The proposed rule also changes the current coverage effective date requirements so that Marketplaces have the option to offer earlier coverage effective start dates for consumers attesting to a future coverage loss. CMS believes that these changes would ensure qualifying individuals are able to seamlessly transition from other forms of coverage to Marketplace Copyright © Medical Billers and Coders. All Rights Reserved Call now 888-357-3226 (Toll Free) info@medicalbillersandcoders.com 2

3. Visit our website: Click here Follow us: coverage as quickly as possible with no coverage gaps. The proposed rule will now allow assisters to conduct door-to-door enrollment to increase consumer engagement and advance health equity. Assisters currently conduct door-to-door outreach, education, and schedule follow-up appointments, but are prohibited from providing enrollment assistance upon an initial interaction at the consumers’ residence. Removing this prohibition will make it easier for consumers to get help when enrolling into coverage. Under current re-enrollment processes, enrollees who are eligible for lower-priced health plans could be automatically re-enrolled in a more costly QHP. This rule includes a proposal that would ensure these consumers are automatically enrolled into their same plans or lower- cost, more generous plans when available, lowering their healthcare costs by taking advantage of these savings. Medical Billers and Coders (MBC) is a leading medical billing company providing complete medical billing and coding services. We shared a recent announcement for provider education purposes, you can refer CMS link for a detailed understanding. If you are a practice owner and feel the billing and coding operations are pulling you back then we can assist you. Our medical specialty-wise billing and coding services will help you to receive timely and accurate insurance reimbursements. To know more about our billing and coding services, call us at: 888-357-3226 or email us at: info@medicalbillersandcoders.com Reference: HHS Releases Policies to Make Coverage More Accessible and Expand Behavioral Health Care Access for Millions of Americans in 2024 Copyright © Medical Billers and Coders. All Rights Reserved Call now 888-357-3226 (Toll Free) info@medicalbillersandcoders.com 3