• Maryland: CMS last week proposed a payment update of 2.2% for MA and Medicare Part D plans. Under the proposed payment update, MA payments are expected to increase by an average of 4.33%, or $21 billion. "CMS has worked to ensure that people with Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D have access to stable and affordable offerings," said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. "Today's advance notice continues CMS' efforts to provide access to affordable, high-quality care in Medicare Advantage while being a good steward of taxpayer dollars." Overall, the federal government said it expects to spend $9.2 trillion on MA payments to health plans over the next decade, with around $1.3 trillion being used for supplemental benefits and premium buy-downs. According to Modern Healthcare, CMS will accept comments on the proposal through Feb. 10, and the final MA and Part D rate notice will be posted by April 7. (Tong, Fierce Healthcare, 1/10; CMS press release, 1/10; Early, Modern Healthcare, 1/10)
• Maryland: According to CMS, 23.6 million people have signed up for a 2025 Health Insurance Marketplace plan — setting a new record for enrollment for the fourth year in a row. Of these enrollments, nearly 3.2 million enrollees were seeking first-time Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage. Top healthcare officials have attributed the growth in enrollment to increased subsidies for ACA plans, which helped more people qualify for financial assistance. These subsidies were first implemented in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic to help Americans afford insurance. However, without congressional action, the subsidies will expire at the end of 2025. So far, it's unclear what will happen with the subsidies, but Democrats have introduced legislation to uphold them, citing the need to preserve coverage. Without the subsidies, around 4 million people could become uninsured. (Pifer, Healthcare Dive, 1/8; AHA News, 1/8)
• Missouri: Last week, Centene named Alan Silver as the first president of its Ambetter Health Solutions business, which focuses on individual coverage health reimbursement arrangements (ICHRAs). According to PoliticoPRO, ICHRA is a health insurance model that allows employers to provide their workers with a tax-free credit to purchase ACA plans on the individual market. With only around 300,0000 enrollees, membership in ICHRA plans is still quite small, but the plans have been growing in popularity. "We believe ICHRA is the future of healthcare coverage for individuals and families, increasing flexibility and affordability," said Centene CEO Sarah London. "Combining our experience supporting the coverage needs of hard-working Americans with Alan's industry-leading ICHRA expertise will accelerate our work to foster greater adoption of ICHRA as a strategic and innovative solution for employers and employees alike." (Hooper, PoliticoPRO, 1/9; Pifer, Healthcare Dive, 1/9; Centene press release, 1/9)

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