Maryland is implementing innovative changes to how hospitals are paid. At the Maryland Citizens’ Health Initiative, we believe consumer involvement will be essential to achieving the goals of lower costs and better quality care.

As you continue budget conversations with your state legislature, state consumer health advocates urge you to protect health insurance coverage programs that help consumers achieve financial stability and good health.

The passage of the ACA was a monumental achievement for individuals and organizations across the country. We continue to be incredibly proud of all our state partners who have worked tirelessly to implement the law.

A few recent headlines suggest that red states stopped making progress on closing the coverage gap, but these headlines don’t accurately describe the coverage gap debate.

The evidence confirming that closing the coverage gap is good for working families and state budgets continues to pile up.

Last week the health care justice community lost one of our visionaries and strongest leaders, Andy Hyman.

It seems like a distant memory when states had to choose their Essential Health Benefit (EHB) benchmark plans. However this process will repeat itself, as states have the option to pick new benchmark plans for the 2017 plan year based on a 2014 plan.

Good news from Kentucky provides compelling evidence that closing the gap is the right decision, and we hope other states take note.

Yesterday, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Hatch (R-UT), House E&C Chairman Upton (R-MI), and Representative Pitts (R-PA) released a discussion draft that outlines their vision for the future of CHIP.