Health Exchnage CEO Richard Onizuka (right) talks with Matt Canedy from the Association of Washington Business.

The State Health Benefit Exchange Board met in SeaTac on Wednesday and reluctantly voted to only offer small business group health insurance plans in two or three counties for its first year. As a centerpiece of federal health care reform at the state level it had been hoped that the Exchange would provide small businesses statewide a web-based platform where they could compare and purchase small group plans. But with implementation set for October only one insurance carrier, Kaiser Permanente in southwest Washington, agreed to offer such plans inside the Exchange.

There will still be a large number of small business plans statewide offered outside the Exchange.

Operationally the Exchange was ready to go statewide, but most insurance companies were unwilling to incur the costs or take the risk that would be required to participate in the first year.

None of this impacts the individual health insurance market where there will be a robust number of plans available both inside and outside the exchange.

In other action the Board agreed to move forward with a Future Strategic Direction Plan that will be exploring policy topics identified by the Board to improve health care outcomes, encourage innovation, and enhance consumer engagement. The Plan will identify, prioritize, and analyze these issues between now and February 2014.

The next Board meeting is scheduled for June 19. For further information on this and other Board meetings please go to http://wahbexchange.org/board/ .

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