ACA Round-Up: Appropriations, Battles Over Reinsurance Program Collections, And More

On September 29, President Obama signed a continuing resolution appropriations bill that will fund the government through December 9, 2016, unless a 2017 appropriations bill is passed before that date. The headline is that the bill provides $1.1 billion in funding for combating the Zika virus. But the legislation otherwise continues in place funding for ACA programs at the rates at which they were funded for 2016, subject to a half percent reduction. The continuing resolution retains riders and restrictions imposed by the 2016 appropriations legislation, including restrictions on using HHS administrative funds to fund the risk corridor program, elimination of funding for the Independent Payment Advisory Board, and various reporting requirements for ACA programs. The only new restriction on ACA funding in the bill is a rescission of $168 million in unspent ACA funds that were supposed to be available for funding health coverage in the territories. The continuing resolution otherwise contains no new restrictions on ACA funding or implementation, however. There is no prohibition against the use of the judgment fund to settle risk corridor cases. And there is no requirement that HHS transfer funds from the reinsurance program to the Treasury, another demand of ACA critics (see below). The battle over health care reform will likely be rejoined in Congress after the elections, but the ACA has survived the latest round of congressional action largely unscathed. GAO Sides With Republ...
Source: Health Affairs Blog - Category: Health Management Authors: Tags: Following the ACA Insurance and Coverage ACA litigation appropriations ASPE GAO reinsurance program Zika virus Source Type: blogs