Alaska State Flexibility to Stabilize the Market Grant Award

Grant Application Summary

Alaska Grantee: State of Alaska Division of Insurance

Award Date: August 20, 2018

Total Award: $276,972.00

Baseline Award: $274,344.83

Workload Award: $2,627.17

Section 2702 - The Alaska Division of Insurance will assess current market conditions to determine whether health care plans are meeting Alaskan consumers’ needs for accessible and affordable health care coverage without unfairly discriminating against Alaskans. Alaska will use market assessment data to develop policy adjustments to improve market conditions and affordable coverage in rural versus urban settings, and to improve the disparities in coverage of Alaska’s underserved populations.

Section 2703 - The Alaska Division of Insurance will contract with a third-party to conduct research and economic and actuarial analyses regarding accessibility to affordable health care coverage. The assessment will include identifying and evaluating barriers to accessibility of affordable health care coverage throughout Alaska with an emphasis on comparing rural settings to more urban settings, establishing a rationale for economic and social factors necessary to determine what affordable coverage means, as well as determining whether plan design elements or other factors could improve access to affordable coverage in each of the five regions of Alaska (Southeast, Southwest, South central, Interior and Northern). Alaska will also identify strategies to enhance current oversight over requirements for guaranteed availability and renewability of coverage to improve accessibility to affordable health care insurance coverage in Alaska.

Section 2707 - The Alaska Division of Insurance will contract with a third-party to conduct economic and actuarial research and analyses regarding accessibility to affordable health care coverage. The data related to accessibility to affordable care and non-discriminatory Essential Health Benefits (EHB) Benchmark plan standards could also result in recommendations for improvement of rate review processes. Alaska will identify strategies to enhance current oversight over requirements for non-discrimination under comprehensive health insurance coverage to improve accessibility to affordable health care insurance coverage in Alaska.