As the focus of marketplace implementation starts to shift from regulation writing to operational planning and consumer engagement, the remaining hurdles to a successful launch loom large. On May 7, 2013, NIHCM Foundation hosted a webinar to discuss the challenges facing various stakeholders and predictions for enrollment, affordability and general readiness.

NIHCM Foundation will host a webinar entitled "The Future of Employer-Sponsored Insurance" on May 29, 2013 from 1:00-2:30 PM EDT. The potential effects of the ACA’s new premium tax credits and employer penalties on the group market are hotly debated, but relentless increases in health care costs have already begun to drive change.

NIHCM Foundation is pleased to announce the availability of new funding under its grant program to support investigator-initiated health services research. Up to $150,000 will be available to fund two to three projects in the 2013-2014 cycle. 

As health insurers continue filing preliminary rates for plans to be offered on state exchanges, it is worth keeping in mind the factors playing into their pricing decisions as summarized by Alice Rosenblatt in a recent Expert Voices essay.

With complicated home lives and health concerns that are often caused or exacerbated by trauma, most children in foster care face major challenges to health and well-being. Yet the time spent in the foster care system with Medicaid coverage and assistance from social services is a critical period for helping these children achieve the best possible health outcomes.

NIHCM Foundation hosted a webinar entitled "Health Insurance Marketplaces: Race to the Deadline" on May 7, 2013 from 1:30-3:00 PM EDT. With exchange open enrollment set to begin October 1, 2013, the federal government—now responsible for at least partial marketplace facilitation in 32 states—has perhaps the largest role to play in meeting the deadline.