Trump administration misses deadline to approve Oklahoma's ACA waiver

Oklahoma's health commissioner blamed President Donald Trump's administration for missing a final deadline to approve its section 1332 waiver to implement a reinsurance program in 2018.

Section 1332 waivers allow states to opt out of specific ACA requirements to implement different health coverage models, as long the models have similarly comprehensive benefits and are as affordable, comparable in terms of number of state residents covered and do not increase the federal deficit. Oklahoma health officials proposed the state's waiver would reduce health insurance premiums by 30 percent and aid more than 130,000 individuals.

Oklahoma Commissioner of Health Terry Cline, PhD, revealed in a Sept. 29 letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and former HHS Secretary Tom Price, MD, the waiver required approval by Sept. 25. Dr. Cline wrote this deadline was set following "months of development, negotiation and near-daily communication over the past six weeks," between state and federal officials, including an approval package agreed upon Sept. 22.

However, Oklahoma officials said they learned approval would not be issued by Sept. 25, "with no reason for the delay or timeframe for approval." As a result, Mr. Cline wrote "Oklahoma is forced to withdraw our waiver request."

Joel Ario, managing director at Los Angeles-based law firm Manatt Health and former director of HHS' Office of Health Insurance Exchanges, told Becker's Hospital Review the decision "potentially chills state action because people read and see that Oklahoma had been promised an action and they didn't get it. It raises questions about what will happen in other states that put in the same kind of effort" to receive the waiver.

For the full letter, click here

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 

Top 40 articles from the past 6 months