Health Insurance Exchange Update: Tuesday, August 15, 2012

Nevada State Flag

Unlike yesterday's report, today's states are working on implementing a health insurance exchange.  Some states are focusing on the logistics of their exchanges and how they will run sustainability in the future.

At the Commonwealth Fund, they posted a podcast that looks at the current state of health insurance exchange.  Of the 34 states that have received federal aid, only 13 have started building their exchanges.  Many of these states have issued plans for their exchanges, but they remain vague enough to The final date of declaring a state will create its own exchange will be in November.

In the latest edition of the Focus on Health Reform from the Kaiser Family Foundation, they take a more in-depth look at where states are standing in terms of creating their exchange.  They also look at the partnerships some states looking to form in order to create a better exchange for their citizens such as Montana and Wyoming as well as Arkansas, Delaware and Illinois.

Governor Brian Sandoval of Nevada has approved a contract to jump start the creation of their exchange, but believes in order to be successful it needs to be built to be sustainable.  According to Business Week, he is opposed to long-term funding of the exchange due to the money it would take away from Nevada's general fun.

In Illinois, they are looking to partner with the federal government for a year, then branch off to their own exchange.  They have issued a call looking for an IT company to come in and create, operate and maintain their digital exchange platform.  According to Modern Healthcare, they expect to abandon their joint exchange for an Illinois-only exchange by 2015.

NBC Miami looks at how the poverty level in some states that are thinking of not expanding Medicaid could affect those citizens who are just above the poverty line.

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: Wednesday, June 20, 2012

The news surrounding the health care and the President’s universal health care law remains the same as the Justices wait to release their decision. The month of June is coming to an end and whichever way the justices go there will be a mixture of emotions ranging from outrage and satisfaction to content and indifference. 

Nonetheless, Governors, and advocates alike are still voicing their opinion before the ruling is heard.

In Missouri, representatives are ready to put to vote a bill that would prevent any health insurance exchanges by the state according to KBIA. The measure states that no exchanges are to occur unless it is approved by legislature or the voters’ approval. The bill also states that the governor cannot use an executive order to have the exchanges into action. Also in an extreme attempt of not having any exchange set up, the measure proposes to sue any state agency or worker involved in exchange activity.

In Illinois, small businesses and health care advocates are still demanding that Governor Pat Quinn use his executive order, like Rhode Island and New York, to issue an executive order for the health insurance exchanges. According to Fox Illinois, Gov. Quinn has expressed interest in using his executive order to get the exchanges in place but nothing has been done so far. Advocates want action to be taken whether or not the Justices rule in favor of Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, but the governors of fifteen other states seem to have a similar approach to this situation. 

The justices know that this decision will impact the country one way or another. Assuming it passes people are going to be covered and helped with the financial burden of coverage, with federal subsidies and state-run exchanges. But people argue that now government can do anything now since the justices have precedent if passed. The effects of striking down the act will lead to millions of people losing the health care they already have because of it being passed in 2010. 

This decision is political and emotional, and The New Republic writer Alex MacGillis echoes this very sentiment with his piece detailing the people living in Tennessee and the attempts of finding affordable health care.  

  

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.  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: Thursday, June 7

In today's health insurance exchange news, we see that many of the struggles that come with creating the exchanges are what should be covered and how the states are going to create the right platform for their exchanges.

In Illinois, a few organizations are banding together to encourage Governor Pat Quinn to give executive orders to begin the creation of the health insurance exchange. The organizations include Illinois State AFL-CIO, League of Women Voters of Illinois and Illinois Black Chamber of Commerce and others according to the Journal Star. These organizations believe that the only way for the state to get its own exchange is to start the process now so they won't be forced to use the federal exchange in 2014.

Washington University in Saint Louis believes that pricing in counties for the exchanges where there is no competition could be inflated.  They believe that policy makers need to monitor the counties where few insurances are competing to ensure the best price for their residents, the reason the health insurance exchanges were created.

What is required to be covered in the healthcare insurance exchanges is still up in the air. Health and Human Services has tasked three insurance companies with reporting data including covered benefits, treatment limitations, a list of covered drugs, along with information on whether each drug is subject to prior authorization and/or step therapy and plan enrollment data for their highest-enrollment plans in addition to bench mark plans and administrative data.  Information Week also notes that the HHS has also named National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and URAC as accreditors to make sure the exchanges meet government standards.

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.  As a reader of this blog, when you register to join us and mention code XP1710BLOG, you'll receive 15% off the standard rate!