Several state regulators

say they don’t have the authority and capacity to properly regulate the marketing of short-term insurance plans that offer fewer benefits than plans sold on the Affordable Care Act’s exchanges, according to a new study. The Georgetown Center on Health Insurance Reforms study explored how states are overseeing the marketing of short-term plans after a new HHS regulation expanded the plans’ duration from three months to nearly 12. While some states issued warnings and advisories to help educate consumers on the risks of the plans compared with more robust ACA-acquired coverage, the capacity to widely disseminate information is lacking, the study found. A major concern from state regulators is whether short-term plans are deceptively marketed. The plans offer fewer benefits than an ACA exchange plan and don’t cover pre-existing conditions.