Affordable Care Act Marketplace: Growing Uncertainty, Losing Providers

1. July 14, 2017 Affordable Care Act Marketplace: Growing Uncertainty, Losing Providers It’s been a rough year for Obamacare, and if the developments in Washington are any indication, it’s not going to be better anytime soon. In the past several months alone, the program has experienced a rapid decline in the number of enrollees, including dropouts. The reason behind this is pretty obvious: the new administration had been harping on their plan to repeal and replace the Obamacare, and the Republicans in Congress did not waste any time getting to work on it. There was a snag, however, and the proposed replacements for Obamacare were not deemed good enough to pass legislation. So for now, the Obamacare act remains standing, albeit very tenuously. P a g e 1 | 3

2. Lingering Concerns Because of these developments, insurance providers are understandably wary about continuing on with their business. As such, many of them have been closing shop, much to the dismay of their enrollees. How serious is the pullout from the Affordable Care Act marketplace exactly? According to reports, as much as 35,000 marketplace enrollees in dozens of counties all across the country are going to be left with no available provider to purchase their insurance from. On top of that, there are 2.4 million more enrollees out there, out of the 10 million plus, that are likely going to be left with only one insurance provider in the marketplace. This, indeed, is a very bleak situation that will obviously affect a significant number of people--most of whom are the ones who need insurance most. Meeting Deadlines As of now, providers have until the early part of summer for them to determine if they will continue offering their services in the marketplace. There’s no definitive date across the board, though, since this will be vary from state to state. Among the states that are expected to lose their insurers by 2018 include Iowa, who’s had a very public shakeup in their marketplace, with their lone insurance provider, Medica, threatening to leave soon. To prevent any more sudden vacuums in their marketplace, their state government thereafter requested from the federal government certain safeguards that will prevent future insurers from just up and leaving. Moving Forward In a bid to prevent the further collapse of the marketplace, meanwhile, the Democrats continue to defend whatever is left of Obamacare. With Republicans reportedly seeking to get a vote with their own version of healthcare, it’s a bid against time for the Democrats to know what’s in the new healthcare proposal and make sure that Obamacare isn’t duly dismantled because of it. In the meantime, many people are left worried about no longer having insurance coverage by next year, as well as not even having an alternative provider to go to because everyone’s left town. Until P a g e 2 | 3

3. light is shed on this matter in Congress, the healthcare industry’s future remains hanging in the balance, and with that, the future of the enrollees. About DECO: We at DECO help companies improve their revenue cycle management through innovative technologies and efficient workflow processes that help them better stay on top of their financial records. Above all, we proudly continue working with compassion, dedicated to helping improve systems so that quality service can be provided to those who need it most--the patients. Sources: Where the Obamacare Exchanges Might Have Zero Insurers in 2018. WashingtonPost.com. Senate Democrats Try to Gum Up Works Over Affordable Care Act Repeal. NYTimes.com. P a g e 3 | 3