Health Insurance Exchange Update: Monday, August 6, 2012

Missouri State Flag

Despite the fact that a fight is waged against the new health care law, there are measures insuring what will be done on creating health care exchanges. Some states are voting for a consensus among the people, others want to get going but they do not have an idea of what the exchanges run by the government will entail and how much money will be used for the program. While others are standing, arms folded and refusing to play. Regardless, one way or another, the exchanges are going to be set up.

Missouri is so divided on the measure that there will be a vote to see if they should set up the exchanges or not. Though this news is a few months old, they are not even fighting over the exchanges anymore; they are still fighting over the wording of the referendum. The Washington Post reports that back in May, the General Assembly approved a ballot measure to set up the exchanges. The Republican-controlled legislature wanted to try and block Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, from establishing the exchanges by executive order. But Nixon stated that he does not plan to do that. Now the language used on the ballot was deemed biased and inaccurate by Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder supposedly within minutes of its publication. So now not only will the people be voting for a president in November but also whether to set up exchanges. But the legislative body may be forgetting one thing: the federal government will set up their own exchanges.

With the bickering happening back and forth in Missouri, there are some states that are moving on in case the president remains in office.

The New York Times reports that the federal government will be covering more states than it had anticipating. The government will not have a one-size fits all exchange program set up, this will vary from state to state. But the article makes it clear that the federal government is not so transparent as other states. California, Mississippi, Minnesota, and Nevada have websites that show documents pertaining to their exchange marketplace. These documents show cost estimates, minutes of public meetings and information about goods and services.

The government, however, is vague about financing the exchange program and they have disclosed little information about their plans. This leaves officials like Thomas M. Hate, president of Landmark Benefits in New Hampshire, says that they have no idea what the federal government’s exchange will look like. He goes on to say that they have not been much communication between the state and federal officials.

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, July 25, 2012

Idaho State Flag

The Congressional Budget Office came out with how much the health care law will save the country money the next ten years. According to the report, the health care law will save $84 billion dollars over the next eleven years. The report also indicates that since the Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional for the government to withhold aid if a state does not expand Medicaid, there will be 3 million people who will be without health insurance. Even with these numbers, there is no telling what may occur ten years from now that could severely alter the numbers for better or worse.

Though the CBO came out with their budget about the health care law, states are trying to figure out what should be done about the ACA. 

Michigan’s Republicans want to wait and see what happens in the November elections. This stance leaves Gov. Rick Snyder frustrated in trying to move forward with establishing their won exchanges. Not only is it getting under the skin of the governor, House Democrat floor leader Kate Segal wants to get the exchanges set up before January 2014. According to Michigan Radio, Segal believes that the state not moving forward to create their own exchanges will not leave them a whole lot of time to set up the exchanges. Segal also wants the state to have their own exchanges instead of having the federal government using their own plan and not knowing what they will do. The governor has made attempts to talk with the Democrats in state office about setting up the exchanges but Segal thinks the Gov. Snyder should meet with them a little more. Hearings are going to be heard tomorrow to discuss what direction the state will go regarding the health care law. 

Idaho is trying to figure out how the health care law will affect the state. According to Times News, Gov. C.L. Otter hired two working groups to analyze and to make recommendations on whether or not the state should set up their own exchange program and expand Medicaid. In addition to that, there will be a legislative Health Care Task Force that will meet in the coming weeks also to discuss the what actions are needed to be taken because of the health care law. 

New Hampshire is also looking at what to do moving forward with the health care law. But according to NPHR, the pressing question which will be for all states but for their Joint Health Care Reform Oversight Committee, their problem will be Medicaid expansion. Gov. John Lynch already signed legislation blocking the creation of state-run exchanges, already rejecting one provision in the law. Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley, a Republican who chairs the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, says there are too many unanswered questions about who will be paying for the bill.

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: Friday, June 22, 2012

In today's exchange update, we see many states continuing to put off the opportunity to set up a state-run exchange, either in favor of the federal exchange or awaiting for the Supreme Court ruling on the constitutionality of the act.

In Vermont, theyv'e created the Health Insurance Exchange Cooperative - a new insurance to help their exchange. With a loan of $33.8 million form the federal government, they will create a version of health insurance that is good for Vermont.  According to the Burlington Free Press,

Meanwhile in New Hampshire, Governor  John Lynch has signed a bill that prohibits the state from creating a state run exchange.He did this with the encouragement of the State Insurance Department.  According to the Concord Monitor, he believes that if the bill is upheld, then his state will benefit from a federal exchange.

According to MedicalXpress target="_blank", Maryland has already begun building their state exchange. Their main concern is that when the healthcare law is upheld by the Supreme Court in their ruling next week, that they'll have to find a balance between funding the exchange and their growing portion of Medicaid beneficiaries. Dushanka Kleinman, Public Health associate dean for research and co-chair of the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange Board's Finance and Sustainability Advisory Committee believes that many things in the law should be done by the states anyway, and the state will continue to improve their health care system for the citizens of their state.

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!