Delaware
Del. lawmakers look to expand Medicare supplement enrollment period for seniors
Delaware lawmakers look at creating a special enrollment period for those on a Medicare supplement policy looking to switch to another.
State Sen. Ray Seigfried (D-North Brandywine) introduces legislation that would make Delaware the 11th state to create a special open enrollment period for Medicare supplement policy holders 30 days before their birthday and 30 days after.
The new “birthday rule” would allow Medigap — Medicare supplement insurance sold by private insurance companies to help fill gaps in Original Medicare coverage — policyholders to switch to plans with equal or lesser benefits without the need to go through medical underwriting, a process where insurance companies examine an individual’s health risk, which Seigfried believes can be discriminatory.
“This rule can be beneficial for many Medigap beneficiaries, as it allows them to compare prices, coverage options, potentially find a more affordable plan,” Sen. Seigfried said.
It would also allow Medicare Advantage plan members, a plan that Delaware state retirees have argued requires stringent preauthorization requirements and provides insufficient benefits, to cancel their existing policy or enroll in Original Medicare with a supplemental plan following the underwriting process.
Representatives on behalf of America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) — a trade association that lobbies on behalf of various insurance companies — and Highmark Delaware oppose the bill, arguing it would lead to higher premiums for seniors and decreased Medigap enrollment as seen in some other states with similar policies.
But Delaware Department of Insurance Senior Policy Advisor Chris Haas argues the statistics cited by insurance stakeholders show correlation without causation.
“We did expose the draft legislation to insurance industry stakeholders and note that many of the responses we received were concerningly misleading and inaccurate. While as of yesterday about 10 states do offer these plans, they all offer them a little bit differently in different environments,” Haas said.
She says while a small impact on rates is possible, because various Medigap carrier shave been declining to write policies at all after a person’s eligibility period, she argues the change in rate is akin to turning something exclusive into something that’s publicly offered.
“In recent years, consumers have reported increased barriers to accessing Medigap policies, whether adding coverage to Original Medicare, changing their Medigap plans, or trying to switch from Medicare Advantage to Medigap during federal enrollment periods when this is permitted. Medigap carriers refusing to write policies in these scenarios has caused consumer harm. It is an impossibility in other environments,” Haas explained. “Imagine if you turn 65, selected an auto insurance plan and then essentially could never change your coverage because carriers would not write to you. That is essentially what Delawareans have experienced.”
The legislation would also require issuers to notify those who are eligible and enrolled in their Medicare supplement policies of the dates of the open enrollment period at least 30 days before it begins and of any modification to the benefits provided by the policy under which the person is currently insured.
The bill cleared committee with virtually no discussion and now awaits consideration by the full Senate.
Thomas Jefferson University is opening a regional campus of its Sidney Kimmel Medical College in Delaware, an effort that will result in the state’s first medical school.
Jefferson beat out three other bidders to establish the four-year program in partnership with the state. The other bidders were the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, the consulting firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers and Ponce Health Sciences University in Puerto Rico, Spotlight Delaware reported.
MORE: SEPTA reopens underground concourse connecting Walnut-Locust and City Hall stations
The inaugural class of 40 medical students will begin instruction in July 2028. Initially, the campus will be based at the University of Delaware in Newark, with Jefferson faculty providing instruction. A permanent home for the campus is still being finalized, the Inquirer reported.
The medical students will receive 18 months of preclinical training on campus before receiving clinical training from healthcare providers in Delaware’s southern counties, where the state’s physician shortage is most deeply felt. That shortage is compounded by an aging population, Delaware officials said.
“Jefferson is committed to being part of the solution to Delaware’s physician shortage,” Jefferson CEO Dr. Joseph Cacchione said in a statement. “We are proud to help build a future where every Delawarean has access to the care they deserve. Jefferson is all in.”
The school’s creation is being supported by $157.4 million from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Delaware is one of three states without a Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program. Since the late 1960s, Jefferson and the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine have reserved seats for Delaware students.
“Sidney Kimmel Medical College has trained generations of physicians for more than 200 years, more than any other medical college in the country,” Said Ibrahim, dean of Sidney Kimmel Medical College, said in a statement. “It is a privilege to bring our mission to Delaware’s patients and communities.”
Jefferson has announced several expansions recently. The university is establishing a full-time doctor of nursing practice-nurse anesthesia program and several online graduate programs at the Lehigh Valley Health Network Center for Healthcare Education in Lehigh County. It also is opening a satellite respiratory therapy lab at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest in Allentown.
Delaware officials said medical students will start their classroom instruction at UD and then do their clinical training at offices and health care systems in Kent and Sussex counties, where the shortage of doctors is most acute.
However, ChristianaCare, which has its own partnership with Jefferson, is not participating. The state’s largest health care system was part of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine’s unsuccessful bid to operate the school. In a joint statement from ChristianaCare and PCOM, the two organizations expressed disappointment with not being part of the consortium of higher education institutions and healthcare organizations.
“The path forward raises genuine questions about whether the school’s goals can be fully realized without ChristianaCare’s meaningful participation in its clinical training mission,” it said. “The success of any four-year medical program depends not just on an academic institution, but on a true and committed partnership with its clinical partners — one built on shared mission, mutual investment and trust developed over time.”
Students in the first class can get their tuition subsidized, covering all of their education costs, in exchange for an agreement to work in rural Delaware for five years.
Running the medical school is expected to cost Jefferson $78 million over the next five years. The money is from a federal rural health grant through the Rural Health Transformation Program, which congressional Republicans created in the so-called “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act.”
The program will give $50 billion to every state over five years, though exactly the total each will eventually receive is unclear. Half of the money is to be distributed equally to states and the other half is awarded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services based on a variety of factors.
The state applied for $1 billion late last year to improve health care in Kent and Sussex counties. The Trump administration has so far allocated Delaware $157 million. Delaware is expected to receive at least $500 million over the life of the fund.
Delaware Ohio Housing Growth
A look at the rapid expansion of housing developments in Delaware, Ohio.
—
Every few weeks Delaware city approves a new housing development. The city has more than 4,000 housing units in its development pipeline, contributing to the rapid growth in one of the fastest-growing counties in Ohio.
A crash shut down U.S. 42 in Delaware County in both directions June 2.
As of 7 a.m., U.S. 42 was closed from U.S. 23 to Jegs Place near the Delaware Municipal Airport.
It was not immediately clear whether anyone was injured in the crash or when the roadway would open.
This is a developing story and will be updated
Public Safety and Breaking News Reporter Bailey Gallion can be reached at bagallion@dispatch.com.
-
Georgia4 minutes agoPrices climb as Georgia gas tax break ends
-
Hawaii11 minutes agoBystander video shows damage after concrete falls at Ala Moana Center
-
Idaho14 minutes agoSecretary of State: Idaho’s rapid growth is reshaping state politics
-
Illinois19 minutes ago104th Illinois General Assembly passes bills for immigration, technology
-
Indiana26 minutes agoIndiana extends gas tax suspension: ‘Cheapest gas in the country’
-
Iowa29 minutes agoTrump's primary endorsement winning streak just ended in Iowa
-
Kansas34 minutes agoWhere to watch Kansas City Royals vs Cincinnati Reds: TV channel, start time, streaming for June 3
-
Kentucky41 minutes agoFayette County school board chair, KEA sue to block Kentucky law that would oust current members
