Waiver flexibility could widen gap between states

In handing states greater flexibility to overhaul their insurance markets through waivers, the Trump administration has paved the way for states to diverge further in the access and affordability of its residents' coverage, insurance experts said.Some warned that states that choose to use the flexibility in the new 1332 waiver guidance to encourage enrollment in cheaper but skimpier association and short-term plans could leave those who remain in Affordable Care Act-compliant plans worse off. The ACA established a minimum floor of insurance coverage, but "with this guidance it's getting a lot of holes," said Sabrina Corlette, a research professor at Georgetown University's Center on Health Insurance Reforms.

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