Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
President Trump and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. Photo: Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced yesterday that it has approved Wisconsin's proposal for a reinsurance program — the fourth state to win such a waiver. (The others are Alaska, Minnesota and Oregon.)
The big picture: It's not quite fair to say reinsurance is fully bipartisan or non-controversial — it couldn't get through Congress, after all. But it's about the closest thing to a consensus idea that exists in the world of insurance, and it's continuing to move forward.
The details: Reinsurance is pretty straightforward: The government simply gives insurers money to help offset the costs of their most expensive patients. That lowers premiums overall, which in turn lowers the federal government's costs to subsidize those premiums.
Why it matters: Reinsurance works. Insurers in Minnesota are actually looking to reduce their premiums next year — which almost never happens — and they say the state's reinsurance program is part of the reason.