Missing Obamacare Data Draws House Democrats’ Scrutiny

The Labor Department’s failure to collect transparency data from employer plans as required under the Affordable Care Act drew the ire of two House Democrats who say that information could be used to protect consumers.

That missing data makes it more difficult for federal enforcement efforts and puts at a disadvantage the more than 150 million Americans in employer-sponsored plans, Reps. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) and Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) said in a May 22 letter to Labor Secretary Alex Acosta. Scott and Wilson head the Education and Labor Committee and its subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions, respectively.

“In light of the continuing growth in health care costs and the many challenges that consumers face in navigating the complexities of the health care system, particularly the growing problem of surprise medical bills, we urge you to take immediate action to collect all data and other information required by the ACA,” the lawmakers urged.

The Affordable Care Act requires the Labor Department to collect data on health plans such as claims practices, financial disclosures, and enrollment. That data is meant to be collected from both marketplace plans and employer-sponsored coverage, but the DOL, which regulates employer plans, has yet to request the information and halted the previous administration’s efforts to so.

An Obama-era proposal that would have added questions about how private health plans handle claims to the annual filing required for private retirement plans was put on ice last year.

“Implementation of these provisions is long overdue, and we urge you to take immediate action to come into full compliance with the Department’s statutory obligations,” the lawmakers said.

• Print
• Email
• Tweet