Exchange Activity Kicks Into High Gear

With all the activity underway across the states, you’d think we were less than 10 months away from when health plans in the Exchanges begin enrolling or something.  Oh wait…HOLY CRAP we’re less than a year from launch!  The game is on, friends:

• Minnesota is taking steps to put its health insurance exchange into law, which has been operating under an executive order for over a year.
• Florida’s special Senate committee will meet for the second time to discuss potential implementation of the healthcare law.
• California’s budget, released last week, endorsed selling Medicaid bridge plans (low or zero premium plans for people earning between 138% to 200% of the FPL) on the state’s exchange.
• Mississippi may receive a decision this week or next from HHS on whether the state’s exchange has received conditional certification.
• Connecticut reported that five insurers and four dental plans applied to participate on its exchange.
• Oregon announced 16 insurers applied to sell on its exchange.
• Washington DC is in the process of engaging stakeholders and has created work groups on essential health benefits and established advisory boards for plan management and consumer assistance.
• Illinois’s Health Care Reform Implementation Council is meeting today and exchanges may be a topic of conversation.

It’s time to get real, folks: this is happening.  Starting in October.

Resources:

Listen to a discussion focused on the lessons learned from MA and Part D when it comes to product strategy in the Exchanges.

Hear Gorman Health Group experts discuss the Federal Facilitated Exchange (FFE) and implications for health plans.