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State Health Exchange Committees Struggle With Decisions As Health Care Reform Goes Forward

The HBF Plan Management Committee, led by Michael Arnis (second from right), met on Thursday in Olympia.

Federal health care reform deadlines are fast approaching for Washington State even as the federal government has fallen way behind with promised rules and guidance. Now that the national elections are over, most expect to see the initial batch of federal documents wthin two weeks.

The Washington Health Plan Finder (the new name for the State Health Benefit Exchange) and Office of the Insurance Commissioner have already had to bump one deadline for approving health plans out three months because of federal delays. And last week they decided to go with a new interim approach to submission of rates and benefits because of information system delays at the federal level.

The HBF Plan Management Committee met on Thursday to continue the coordination with insurance carriers.

Also on Thursday the HPF Operations Committee struggled with a draft report on funding the exchange that is due to the Legislature on December 1. There has been growing concern from legislators and business leaders alike with the staff’s proposed exchange budget that will exceed $50 million per year.

Some HPF Board members want to spread that cost across all health plans sold in Washington State, even if they have nothing to do with the exchange. But small business Board Member Don Conant led a spirited opposition at the meeting pointing out that would require plans outside the exchange to subsidize the marketing, premium collection, and sales support for plans inside the exchange.

There are also legal questions as to whether any assessment that impacts plans outside the exchange would qualify as a tax and require a two-thirds vote of the Legislature under Initiative 1185.

The questions need to be answered and the draft report approved by the HPF Board when it meets next Friday, November 16.

For those not familiar with it, the exchange is the state centerpiece of federal health care reform where small businesses and individuals will be able to buy insurance and determine if they qualify for subsidies. State residents will also still be able to buy insurance outside the HPF.

 


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