Our thoughts remain with our NAHU family in Texas, Louisiana, and Florida who are dealing with the effects of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. We encourage members to contribute gift cards for those affected through the NAHU UNITE program (details below), which coordinates interim and short-term financial support and relief efforts to help sustain NAHU members until more permanent funding becomes available.

The NAHU UNITE program accepts gift cards that can be used for fuel, food, hotel and other sundries for NAHU members affected by the storm. Texas AHU President Mike Avery and Florida AHU Executive Director Dave Sherrill are coordinating with the local chapter presidents to distribute assistance to members needing assistance. Please do not send cash or checks; send gift cards to:

NAHU UNITE!
Attn: Mike Avery, TAHU President
PO Box 351
Odessa, Texas 79760

NAHU UNITE!

Attn: Dave Sherrill, Executive Director
Florida Association of Health Underwriters
PO Box 150358
Altamonte Springs, FL 32715-0358

Once again, we encourages members who know individuals affected by the storms and in need of medication to check out Healthcare Ready’s free, interactive RxOpen map with open and closed pharmacies in the region.

NAHU and the Stop the HIT coalition followed up our letter from last week with a letter to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR), again repeating our request for Congress to permanently repeal the health insurance tax.

NAHU submitted comments on the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 and the 21st Century Cures Act.

Today, Anthem announced that they are reversing their previous decision to leave the individual market in Virginia and instead will be offering plans in 2018. This comes as a relief to many Virginians, an estimated 70,000 of which would not have had access to individual plans if Anthem had exited the market and left 68 counties without a carrier.

The centrist think tank Third Way published a market stability proposal advocating for funding the cost sharing reduction program, establishing a stability fund, promoting open enrollment, reducing tax and regulatory burdens, and increasing state flexibility.

The Government Accountability Office released a report, “Health Insurance Marketplaces: CMS Needs to Improve Its Oversight of State IT Systems' Sustainability and Performance.” A summary of the report is available here.

A report sponsored by the Association for Community Affiliated Plans assessed seven alternative policies to the individual mandate, but found that the mandate was the most effective at driving enrollment.

Meanwhile, Representatives Michael Burgess (R-TX) and Pat Tiberi (R-OH) introduced H.R. 3725 to repeal the ACA’s individual mandate. Burgess and Tiberi are the Health Subcommittee chairs of the Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means Committees, respectively.

The Trump Administration released their list of navigator grants, just days after a handful of House Democrats sent a letter asking for information on the grants that were due on September 2.

The Congressional Budget Office released a new report on the cost of the market uncertainty being caused by the Trump Administration and Congress, pegging it at a 15% increase for benchmark plans.

Economist Tyler Cowan writes about the practicalities of single-payer, particularly for Americans who are already covered by employer sponsored insurance.

CMS is hosting a webinar to provide information about the new Medicare cards, including the new card design, the mailing of new cards, card research, outreach plans, and fraud awareness.

Those of you who attend NAHU’s Capitol Conference may be intimately familiar with the tunnels under the Capitol, where a “secret train” rides alongside ferrying legislators to and from the Capitol. This week, Lin-Manuel Miranda of Hamilton fame took a few song-filled rides on the trains.