Health Insurance Exchange Update: Wednesday, September 26th

South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard announced Wednesday that the state will not be setting up its own health insurance exchange. According to Gov. Daugaard, the only way the state would be able to operate the costly exchange would be to raise taxes or charge a fee to South Dakota citizens. But South Dakota is not the first state that the federal government will operate and fund, apparently half of the states will choose not to run their own exchange.  

Governor Rick Scott has never been one to hold his tongue regarding the federal healthcare insurance program, and in turn it’s the residents of Florida that he’s hurting. The exchange will be a resourceful place for individuals to compare plans, and also ask questions so that they can find the best healthcare plan tailored for their needs. Many governors across the U.S. that have spoken out against the program are setting their political views aside and realizing that it’s wise to keep their options open. 

Despite fighting hard against President Obama’s Healthcare law, and even signing an executing order banning the implementation of it, Idaho still lost. Since the law was found to be constitutional the governor must now move forward, but it won’t be easy. Wayne Hoffman, president of the Freedom Foundation has made it a priority that all decisions are fully reviewed and discussed.

Want to learn more about the health insurance exchange? This November, the Health Insurance Exchange Congress will be held November 13-14, 2012 in Chicago, IL.  Here, state officials and health plans with the only opportunity to come together to discuss PPACA and strategize on how to make this a successful opportunity for all.  For more information on this year's agenda, download the program here.  As a reader of this blog, when you register to join us and mention code XP1710BLOG, you'll receive 15% off the standard rate!  

Health Insurance Exchange Update: Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Florida State Flag

In an effort to exercise their ability to be the uncooperative partner, 12 senate and 61 House members sent out letters to governors telling them to rebel against the Affordable Care Act. One man in particular is taking this to heart where as some are weighing options and very few are ahead of the curve. 

Florida Gov. Rick Scott stated soon after the health care ruling said he rejected health insurance exchanges. Now the governor has come out and said that he will also not be expanding Medicaid as well according to The New York Times. The governor cites that the state will have too much of a burden expanding Medicaid for his citizens. Even though the government will cover all costs for new people under Medicaid from 2014 to 2016, he believes that after those three years the tax payers will have the burden of paying a substantial amount. But there are some who have begun to critique what exactly Scott said while making his rounds on national television. Whether it is from the amount of money Florida will pay to the idea or rationing of the health care, there are some regarding his comments as false on off base with what the health care law actually does. 

North Dakota is one of 36 states that must decide whether or not to take the lead in creating health insurance exchanges, according to the Jamestown Sun. Their legislator decided to have the federal government lead them in establishing exchanges. Under the current deadlines, North Dakota may not have enough time unless they receive conditional approval from the government. Blue Cross Shield of North Dakota are exploring the possibility of having a standby template incase the government offers an extension. But if the state is not offered an extension, then the state will have to use the federal government’s exchange program. 

Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey is deciding whether or not he will also use the federal government in order to set up exchanges, claiming that this would be good for the state. He has also mentioned that Medicaid in New Jersey is already inclusive and that the federal government should give money to states for Medicaid with no strings attached, according to NECN.

Taking the initiative into his own hands, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo decided to use an executive order in order to comply with the health care law back in April. Now they are one of the few states ready for when most of health care law goes into act in 2014. Of the 2.7 million people who are uninsured, 1 million will be able for exchanges, 700,000 are immigrants who will not be covered and the remainder will receive Medicaid coverage according to Democrat and Chronicle.

This November, the Health Insurance Exchange Congress will be held November 13-14, 2012 in Chicago, IL.  Here, state officials and health plans with the only opportunity to come together to discuss PPACA and strategize on how to make this a successful opportunity for all.  For more information on this year's agenda, download the program here.  As a reader of this blog, when you register to join us and mention code XP1710BLOG, you'll receive 15% off the standard rate!

Health Insurance Exchange Update: Tuesday, June 26, 2012

We have two days until the decision will be heard and our politicians will figure out the next steps in health care reform. Still, with two days left to worrying whether or not Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, states and state officials preparing for the possibility of the act being upheld and a democratic Governor disagrees with the individual mandate.

In Missouri, Democratic Governor Jay Nixon has expressed his displeasure with the requiring of individuals to buy health coverage, according to St. Louis Public Radio. He wanted to make it clear his feelings regarding the ACA to what he calls “Washington Healthcare Law”.

Also expressing disinterest with the health care reform, Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin said that no matter what happens on Thursday, he will not act on any of the provisions in the act until November, according to Milwaukee Public Radio. And what's going on in November? The general election. And, what does Walker believe? Yes, he wants to, rather he believes that Mitt Romney will be in office in November. 

In Florida, changes are being made to help improve their already standing health exchange program, according to Market Watch. Xerox has decided to work with Florida’s health exchange program entitled Florida Health Choices to build health insurance marketplace in Florida Health Choices. The contract is reportedly going to last 9 years and it will be valued at $68 million. The insurance marketplace Xerox is going to design will give Xerox is going to provide a cloud-based web portal, an online plan tool to give consumers and employers more information when making health insurance sections. Xerox will also provide eligibility determination and an enrollment management services for the program and it will operate as a customer contact center to share information on marketplace offerings. 

In Mississippi, there is someone who feels that part of the ACA is actually a good thing for his state, according to the Desoto Times. The State Insurance commissioner Mike Chaney feels health insurance exchange as crucial tool to broaden health care of Mississippians. He feels that this is not a Republican idea, a Democrat idea, but a universal idea. Stating the obvious, Chaney also believes that Mississippi will be in better shape than neighboring Louisiana, who has not taken any steps towards making exchanges. And in buying into that reasoning, Chaney has taken steps to see it implemented gathering proposals of companies would enter the exchange. When he was in office until 2009, he brought up legislature for the exchanges, but of course, it was not passed. But Chaney realized with his new position, he was going to use that pull in order to get the exchanges ready. And with his pull, he decided to take the government’s $22 million in startup funds. 

This November, the Health Insurance Exchange Congress will be held November 13-14, 2012 in Chicago, IL.  Here, state officials and health plans with the only opportunity to come together to discuss PPACA and strategize on how to make this a successful opportunity for all.  For more information on this year's agenda, download the program here.  As a reader of this blog, when you register to join us and mention code XP1710BLOG, you'll receive 15% off the standard rate!

Health Insurance Exchanges Update: Monday, June 25, 2012

Michigan State Flag

The wait will have to be delayed a little longer. According to The Huffington Post, the ruling on health-care reform has been pushed back by the justices. Which means that you could expect the ruling to come out Thursday according to the report. But you're not alone in the wanting the verdict to come already, your state officials feel the same.

Michigan has gone forward with the idea of starting up the exchanges by passing a bill including two of them that don’t seem to coincide with each other, according to Michigan Capital Confidential.  One of the exchanges dictates if the person will go under Medicaid or government approved insurance policy which will then look at the income and access the amount of subsidies one gets. The other involves individuals to benefit from tax deduction employers are allowed to take for the employee health coverage cost. 

Florida Governor Rick Scott has made it clear where he stands regarding healthcare reform, according to the Miami Herald. He believes that the Supreme Court will ultimately side with them and the 25 other states involved in the lawsuit against the President’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Gov. Scott went on to say that even if this law is, it will be repealed before it goes into action in 2014, sighting that is the reason why the state will not rush to implement the law. The governor is deciding to put all his eggs in one basket, in hopes that Republican nominee Mitt Romney will be elected President this November. And the issue of state-run health insurance exchanges, the governor believes that if it were useful, the private sector would have created it by now.

Hypotheticals are still circulating, awaiting the all-important verdict by the justices. One such hypothetical is the survival of the health insurance exchanges if the law is struck down.

CNN Money writes that the idea of health insurance exchanges could actually survive even if the courts decide to strike down health care reform. Some states have decided to contact Utah, who already had the exchanges set up before the reform passed, to figure out the ins and outs of the state-run exchanges. What’s even more attractive to the states is the idea of taking some of the burden off health-care programs like Medicaid if more people fewer people were insured. 

The Washington Post writes that businesses would not be thrilled if the law went out the window. The millions of dollars they would lose if new people were going to be insured would mean less profit. 

This November, the Health Insurance Exchange Congress will be held November 13-14, 2012 in Chicago, IL.  Here, state officials and health plans with the only opportunity to come together to discuss PPACA and strategize on how to make this a successful opportunity for all.  For more information on this year's agenda, download the program here.  As a reader of this blog, when you register to join us and mention code XP1710BLOG, you'll receive 15% off the standard rate!