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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 11, 2025
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Jeff Van Ness, (202) 204-7515, jvanness@communityplans.net

 

STATEMENT OF ACAP CEO MARGARET A. MURRAY ON PROPOSED MARKETPLACE INTEGRITY AND AFFORDABILITY RULE

WASHINGTON—Margaret A. Murray, CEO of the Association for Community Plans (ACAP), issued the following statement about the proposed Marketplace Integrity and Affordability Rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), for which comments were due today:

“ACAP appreciates the Administration’s aim to enhance the integrity of Marketplace coverage, and we support some elements of this proposed rule, including provisions that would limit special enrollment period abuse and adverse selection.

“However, this is overridden by the severely compressed timelines for consumers and health plans alike. Experience shows that reducing the open enrollment period is likely to adversely affect the risk pool in Marketplaces, as healthier consumers generally wait to enroll.–The longer open enrollment time may be particularly important for consumers this year should Congress fail to extend the enhanced premium tax credits.

“The proposed rule also sets out highly unrealistic deadlines for plans to adequately comply with a number of provisions that affect plan design and would take effect for this benefit year; some Qualified Health Plan applications are due in as few as ten business days from today and it would be impossible for plans to prudently incorporate these changes in a timely manner, even if CMS were to finalize the rule Monday. Accordingly, we urge CMS in the strongest terms to delay those changes to benefit year 2027.

“We look forward to continued conversations with CMS going forward around these issues.”

Read ACAP’s comment letter in full here.

About ACAP:
ACAP represents 83 health plans, which collectively provide health coverage to more than 30 million people. Safety Net Health Plans serve their members through Medicaid, Medicare, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), the Marketplace and other publicly-sponsored health programs. For more information, visit communityplans.net.

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