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In June, the U.S. Department of Labor issued a final regulation that implements President Trump’s executive order encouraging the expansion of association health plans (AHPs) for small businesses and self-employed individuals. Under these rules, professional or trade associations will be permitted to sell health plans that are exempt from many Affordable Care Act (ACA) protections as early as September 1, 2018. However, 12 attorneys general have now sued to enjoin the rule, noting that AHPs have a long history of fraud and insolvency, and in some places have undermined states’ individual and small-group markets. While this litigation works its way through the federal courts, state insurance departments can’t ignore the daunting and complex task of determining how they will regulate these entities in a way that is best for small employers, the self-employed, and health insurance markets.
       

Source: The Commonwealth Fund: Blog - August 10, 2018 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Kevin Lucia, Sabrina Corlette , Christina Goe, Justin Giovannelli, Maanasa Kona Source Type: blogs