The American Hospital Association has urged CMS to issue an interim final rule requiring qualified health plans offered through the health insurance exchanges to accept third-party premium and cost-sharing payments from hospitals, hospital-affiliated foundations and other charitable organizations.
Although CMS stated in March that it prefers QHPs to reject third-party payments from hospitals, that policy hasn't been made law, according to the AHA. In a letter to CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner, AHA President and CEO Rich Umbdenstock wrote, "Any effort to limit the ability of hospitals or hospital-affiliated foundations and other charitable organizations to help individuals in need obtain access to health insurance coverage is bad public policy. Not only does it undermine one of the core objectives of the [Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act] — making affordable insurance coverage available to the uninsured — it would adversely impact those who need it most, the poor and sick."
Last month, the AHA and the Catholic Health Association sent a similar letter to HHS, asking the agency to clarify that it doesn't discourage hospital-affiliated and other charitable foundations from subsidizing health insurance premiums for exchange plans. The AHA and CHA wrote the uncertainty surrounding third-party premium payments from charitable foundations limits their ability to help Americans obtain health insurance coverage under the PPACA.
More Articles on Health Insurance Premiums:
Hospital Groups Ask HHS for Clarification on Health Insurance Subsidies
AHA: Providers Paying Patients' PPACA Premiums Does Not Violate Anti-Kickback Statute
HHS Discourages Hospital Premium Subsidies for Exchange Plans