Commentary: WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham introduced the Health Care Choice and Affordability Act, which would create a Medicaid buy-in option for individuals in counties with few or no options in the insurance marketplace.
Rep. Lujan Grisham’s legislation would address immediate concerns about access to coverage in the ACA marketplace. While more than 20 million additional Americans have access to health insurance under the ACA, many communities do not have the option to choose between competing insurance plans. Under Rep. Lujan Grisham’s bill, millions of Americans would benefit.
“My bill offers a new path to coverage through a federal health program – Medicaid – that is working well for many Americans,” Rep. Lujan Grisham said. “Medicaid is a tool we should use to ensure choice and affordability in the health insurance marketplace.”
The Health Care Choice and Affordability Act would:
· Allow states that contain counties with one or fewer insurers to offer Medicaid through their health insurance marketplace.
· Require states to set premiums that cover enrollee medical costs and 10% of administrative costs; the federal government would cover the remaining 90% of administrative costs.
· Allow individuals who are eligible for ACA premium tax credits to apply that credit toward the cost of their Medicaid buy-in plan.