CMS Approves Alaska's 1332 Waiver Creating Reinsurance Program

CMS Tuesday approved a state innovation waiver for Alaska granting the state about $48 million in federal pass-through money to help fund a reinsurance program that officials predict could lower health insurance rates by about 20 percent and result in 1,400 more enrollees for 2018. CMS Administrator Seema Verma told reporters on a call that the waiver, which has been approved through Dec. 31, 2022, is not a long-term solution, but will temporarily stabilize Alaska's insurance market. While Alaska's waiver...