Feds release rule for ACA 'Basic Health Program'

Federal health officials released the framework for ACA’s long-awaited "Basic Health Program," an initiative designed to provide a scaled-down, lower-cost coverage option to people who cannot afford health plans on the new insurance exchanges (Source: “Officials outline 'Basic Health Program',” The Hill Health Blog, Sept. 20, 2013). 

In a proposed rule, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) stated that the plans must meet the level of basic coverage established by the Affordable Care Act, including preventive care and emergency services. The plans cannot discriminate based on age or health condition, the rule said, and their monthly premiums cannot exceed the amount an enrollee would pay for the second lowest cost silver plan on the new marketplaces.