Payers

Summary

This section summarizes current efforts by health insurers to coordinate and expand coverage and access to quality care, highlights key findings, and recommendations to support ongoing efforts and collaboration across hospitals, health systems, and other healthcare professionals to best support the health and needs of health professionals, individuals, and communities.

Expanding coverage allows Americans to feel comfortable getting COVID-19 related care, without worrying about the financial burden it may bear. There has also been a shift to expand telehealth services and reduce the cost-sharing burden to allow Americans to seek the care they require while staying at home. The goal of this sector is to discuss current efforts of private health insurers, Medicare and Medicaid, as well as discuss the future healthcare insurance cost, coverage, and premium implications that this public health emergency may bring, and to allow health insurers to cover and aid more Americans.

Recommendations

• Insurers partnering with American Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) to advocate for a special enrollment period, an emergency risk mitigation program, and enhancing subsidies for the individual market.
• Insurers supporting hospitals, health systems, and other healthcare professionals to ensure delivery of high-quality care now and in the future by assisting with healthcare capacity needs and ensuring access to resources.
• Private insurers expanding mental service coverage and community involvement to reduce the health impact faced by individuals and communities.

Authors