Loss of Cost-Sharing Reductions in the ACA Marketplace: Impact on Consumers and Insurer Participation

Under the Affordable Care Act, insurers must reduce the cost-sharing obligations, like copayments and deductibles, of low-income enrollees. In an updated post, Georgetown University’s JoAnn Volk, Dania Palanker, Justin Giovannelli, and Kevin Lucia point out that, at any time, the Trump administration can pull the plug on government payments that support these cost-sharing reductions (CSRs), a move that could throw the individual health insurance market into chaos, especially given that insurers will still be legally required to offer this subsidy to eligible enrollees.