By: Héctor Hernández-Delgado and Wayne Turner
Executive Summary
States have historically addressed gaps in health care coverage by requiring insurers to cover specific benefits. However, under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), states must defray the cost of newly enacted state benefit mandates that apply to Qualified Health Plans (QHPs). This issue brief provides an overview of the ACA’s defrayal requirements, including recent changes in regulations that could impose new burdens on states. NHeLP identifies key issues for state policymakers and advocates, and recommends ways to protect access to needed health care benefits and services. NHeLP’s Services Practice Area is available to provide technical assistance to stakeholders and policymakers considering changes in response to recent defrayal and other EHB policy changes.
