NEWS & VIEWS

May 22, 2025

Tracking the Medicaid Provisions in the 2025 Reconciliation Bill

On May 18, the House Budget Committee advanced a budget reconciliation bill aimed at funding President Trump’s domestic priorities that includes significant changes to the Medicaid program. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the bill would decrease the federal deficit by more than the $880 billion over 10 years that was called for by the budget resolution passed in April. CBO preliminary estimates show that the Medicaid provisions would reduce the deficit by $625 billion over ten years and increase the number of people without health insurance by at least 7.6 million by 2034.

KFF is keeping a running summary by topic for the reconciliation bill moving through Congress. You can find updates here.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) Under Reconciliation Bill

Marketplace Enrollees with Unpredictable Incomes Could Face Bigger Penalties Under House Reconciliation Bill Provision

New legislative proposals released this week could potentially expose Marketplace enrollees to higher costs if their income at the end of the year differs from what they originally estimated. Most Marketplace enrollees (92% in 2025) receive a tax credit to help pay premiums, and the vast majority of those receive the credit in advance to lower the monthly payments, rather than when they file taxes.



Potential Impacts of 2025 Budget Reconciliation on Health Coverage for Immigrant Families

Congressional Republicans are considering a budget reconciliation package that would make significant changes to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA), with a number of provisions specifically limiting access to health coverage for immigrants.  These provisions would likely increase the uninsured rate among immigrant families, including citizen children in those families. There may be broader ramifications for the nation’s workforce and economy given the role immigrants play.

*NOTE - This information is accurate as of Wednesday, May 21, 2025. The House has desires to pass the budget package by this weekend and contents of the reconciliation bill may change by the time you read this.

Register for the 2025 ISHN Conference!

Join over 600 school, community, and health professionals at the 2025 ISHN Conference! Preconference sessions kick off on Monday, June 9th, with insightful discussions and expert-led workshops. The two-day conference on June 10th and 11th offers a rich agenda filled with thought-provoking keynote speakers, numerous breakout sessions, and more than 50 exhibitors.

Registration Deadline: June 2, 2025

Make a Difference at ISHN

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives are an important way to acknowledge and appreciate the social, environmental, and economic consequences that a large conference has on a community. 

Covering Kids & Families of Indiana is grateful to the community of Plainfield in Hendricks County for hosting the ISHN conference for many years. CKF invites you to help show appreciation by bringing any of the following items to the conference to be distributed through the programs at Family Promise of Hendricks County.

Minimizing Disruptions in Coverage

The Commonwealth Fund released a new issue brief, How Disruptions in Coverage Can Be Minimized for Medicaid and CHIP Enrollees Due for Renewal. Coverage losses, even temporary ones, have negative impacts such as delayed care and higher program costs for states. Healthcare coverage reduces mortality, improves financial stability, and for children has been shown to have continuing benefits into adulthood.

Two common reasons for losing coverage include:

1. Losing eligibility due to fluctuating income.
2. Losing eligibility due to procedural reasons such as not submitting necessary forms in time.

Here are some of the actions the authors recommend to improve continuity of coverage while maintaining or improving the accuracy of renewals:

• Extend continuous eligibility. Currently, twelve-month continuous eligibility is mandatory for children.
• Automatically renew for people with $0 income and children with incomes below 100% federal poverty level (FPL).
• Conduct more targeted outreach and assistance. Studies have found that having individual support can reduce disruptions in coverage. Assistance from someone like an Indiana Certified Navigator is especially helpful to those who have been found to be at the highest risk of losing coverage including single-parent families, Hispanic people, Black people, and those with less than a high school education.

Marketplace 2025 Open Enrollment Report

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Marketplace 2025 Open Enrollment Report. There were 24.3 million consumers enrolled, which is 68% more consumers enrolled compared to 2022. CMS also provides public use files that break down information into greater detail.

# Hoosiers Who Selected a Marketplace Plan

Marketplace SEP Verification

Beginning this Friday, Hoosiers who experience a loss of minimum essential coverage that the Marketplace cannot verify electronically will be required to submit documentation to be eligible for a special enrollment period (SEP). After selecting a plan, they will have 30 days to submit documentation. They will not be able to use their coverage until the Marketplace confirms eligibility and they have paid their first premium.

Beyond the Basics offers these resources on SEP policies:

• Special Enrollment Period Reference Chart
• Special Enrollment Periods webinar recording and slides (see slides 42-46 for a review of the SEP verification process)
• Minimum Essential Coverage Reference Chart

Resources in Spanish - Recursos en Español: Tabla de referencia: Guía sobre los períodos especiales de inscripción

Períodos especiales de inscripción del Mercado de Salud seminario web grabación y diapositivas (ve a diapositivas 43 a 47 para más información sobre el proceso de verificar los SEPs)

The Role of Geography in Healthcare

Join Policy Map on Thursday June 5th at 1:00pm EST for the next MapChats webinar: The Role of Geography in Healthcare.

The session will explore the importance of spatial data and geospatial analysis in transforming healthcare, from improving population health and the efficiency of health systems to advancing innovations in life sciences and pharma.

The Concentration of Nicotine in E-cigarettes Puts

Youth at Higher Risk of Addiction

The Truth Initiative reports a significant rise in nicotine concentrations in e-cigarettes, with average levels increasing from 2.5% to 4.4% between 2017 and 2022. This surge is particularly evident in disposable e-cigarettes, which have become the most commonly used devices among youth. The heightened nicotine content, coupled with appealing flavors and reduced prices, has led to increased addiction risks for young users, potentially exacerbating mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. Despite regulatory requirements, many of these high-nicotine products enter the market without FDA authorization, underscoring the need for stricter enforcement and comprehensive policies to protect youth from nicotine addiction.

Connect with CKF

Tobacco Prevention & Cessation program on social media!

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