Families may see lower costs for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA); Walgreens Boots Alliance will take full ownership of CareCentrix; Bright Health will stop offering individual and family health insurance plans in 9 states.
The Treasury Department announced on Tuesday new rules that may provide tax breaks for families purchasing health insurance through the marketplaces established by the Affordable Care Act, the Associated Press reports. The new rule attempts to fix what’s referred to as the “family glitch,” in which the eligibility for tax credits was determined by the individual’s work-sponsored health insurance plan rather than the cost for the entire family. Families who were previously unable to qualify for the tax breaks can now apply for them, as long as they pay more than 9.5% of their income to monthly premiums.
Walgreens Boots Alliance plans to buy the remaining 45% stake of CareCentrix for approximately $392 million as part of its focus on primary care, postacute care, and home care, according to Fierce Healthcare. The move comes after Walgreens Boots Alliance had announced that it would purchase a stake in the company last October. That deal, which closed in late August, was just 1 of Walgreens’ acquisitions to strengthen its reach in health care, joining its recent purchase of the remaining stake in Shield Health Solutions. CareCentrix currently manages care for more than 19 million members in 7400 locations, offering services that include home nursing, providing durable medical equipment, home infusion, and in-home palliative care.
Bright Health Group will stop offering individual Affordable Care Act and family health insurance plans in 9 states, leaving hundreds of thousands of Americans needing new insurance coverage for next year, according to Forbes. In addition, California and Florida remain the only states where Bright Health will continue to provide Medicare Advantage plans. Although the exact number of people who will be affected is unclear, Bright Health had previously projected 1 million total health plan enrollees for 2022.
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