April 4, 2024
On April 2, 2024, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS') Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced policies for the Affordable Care Act Marketplaces that make it easier for individuals with low income levels to enroll in coverage; provide states the ability to increase access to routine adult dental services; and set network adequacy standards for the times and distances people travel for appointments with in-network providers. The final rule will also standardize certain operations across the Marketplaces to increase reliability and constancy for consumers.
HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra was quoted in a CMS news release saying, "More than 21 million Americans signed up for high-quality, affordable health care coverage through the ACA Marketplaces in 2024. We want to build on this success to make Marketplace plans even better . . . This rule will allow coverage of routine dental benefits for the first time, expand requirements to ensure reliable access to health care providers, and ensure consumers with lower incomes can sign up for coverage when they need it."
Click here to access the news release from CMS, click here to access a policy fact sheet, and click here to access the final rule itself.
