Bill Overview
Title: RICE Act
Description: This bill requires health insurance plans to annually submit, in a machine-readable file, a summary of benefits and coverage under the plan to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). HHS must publish the summaries online.
Sponsors: Del. Plaskett, Stacey E. [D-VI-At Large]
Target Audience
Population: People who have health insurance
Estimated Size: 300000000
- The bill affects health insurance plans that will need to provide information in a new format.
- Health insurance subscribers will be impacted as they gain access to more transparent information about their coverage.
- The Department of Health and Human Services will implement the bill's requirements, affecting its operations.
- Overall, the act impacts anyone with health insurance in the United States.
Reasoning
- The RICE Act enhances transparency in health insurance billing, allowing consumers to better understand their benefits. This could improve decision-making and potentially increase satisfaction with health coverage.
- For those who already have a thorough understanding of their health insurance, the impact might be minimal. However, for those who struggle with understanding insurance documents, the Act could significantly boost their sense of preparedness and wellbeing.
- Given the budget constraints, the policy limits extensive marketing strategies or educational programs to accompany the summary publication. Many beneficiaries may need supplementary support to fully utilize the summaries provided.
- The policy might initially see more adoption and utility among tech-savvy individuals or those actively seeking such information, but might require outreach efforts to penetrate non-tech-savvy demographics.
- The overall effect on wellbeing could be delayed as consumers initially acclimate to accessing and using these resources. However, it is likely to increase as the usability and accessibility improve over time, especially with the potential for technology integrations (e.g., apps, AI helpers).
- Simulated interviews include individuals from different demographics, considering a broad spectrum of life situations and health conditions to understand varied impacts.
Simulated Interviews
nurse (Texas)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I already have a good understanding of insurance documents because of my background, but I think this will help others get a better handle on their benefits.
- It might make policy comparisons easier—I usually look through plans for open enrollment and this could save time.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
software engineer (California)
Age: 30 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 18/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Having this data available in a machine-readable format is awesome. I can see apps quickly making use of this to compare plans or keep track of usage.
- It won't change a lot for me personally, but it's a step in the right direction.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
retired teacher (Florida)
Age: 60 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I frequently get confused by the piles of papers and jargon in the documents from my insurer.
- If this policy helps make everything clearer, it could really lower my stress related to managing healthcare.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
freelancer (New York)
Age: 28 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I don't really read all the fine print because I just can’t make sense of it.
- I think more transparency would help me plan better financially and maybe avoid some of the unexpected bills.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
truck driver (Illinois)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 16/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I don't usually handle this stuff myself; my spouse does it for me.
- If it's easier to understand and share with me, that would definitely be handy, but I don’t know if it’ll change much for me.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
HR manager (Ohio)
Age: 35 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I often have to explain this stuff to employees, so a simplified version would be beneficial.
- It might save time and reduce the number of questions I get, especially during enrollment periods.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
graduate student (Utah)
Age: 24 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 13/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I find it quite challenging to understand what I'm covered for or not. The first time I saw my policy, I was lost.
- Making things clearer means I don’t feel as blind when dealing with health care.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
small business owner (Washington)
Age: 52 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I need to stay on top of insurance for my employees. This could make it easier to compare plans or explain them.
- However, I don’t expect it to hugely revolutionize how I manage things right now.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
accountant (Georgia)
Age: 40 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This will help me personally because I like to have complete data to make my decisions.
- I might be able to better advise others in my community who often rely on word-of-mouth.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
health insurance claims specialist (Connecticut)
Age: 38 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I already know how to navigate and understand insurance details.
- But for those outside this industry, more understanding is always beneficial and could lead to fewer calls for clarifications.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $80000000 (Low: $60000000, High: $100000000)
Year 2: $50000000 (Low: $40000000, High: $70000000)
Year 3: $50000000 (Low: $40000000, High: $70000000)
Year 5: $50000000 (Low: $40000000, High: $70000000)
Year 10: $50000000 (Low: $40000000, High: $70000000)
Year 100: $50000000 (Low: $40000000, High: $70000000)
Key Considerations
- Insurance plans will incur costs to comply with new data formatting and submission requirements.
- HHS will need to ensure robust cybersecurity for hosting consumer benefit information.
- Annual updates might streamline processes after systems and protocols are established.