A Conversation About Health Insurance Exchanges is a discussion on healthcare reform and one of its pivotal features, the development and launch of state-specific health insurance exchanges. Administrative, financial and technical aspects are key considerations covered in the content. Become quickly informed by reviewing the presentation and lead your own discussions! www.healthcaremedicalpharmaceuticaldirectory.com John G. Baresky https://www.linkedin.com/in/johngbaresky #baresky

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“A Conversation About Health Insurance Exchanges”
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2. “A Conversation About Health Insurance Exchanges”
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3. What is the purpose of the exchanges?
• Exchanges are intended to make buying health insurance
easier and more affordable, they are essentially virtual
stores for selling health insurance
• Their goal is to help individuals and small businesses:
– Compare health plans
– Get answers to questions
– Find out if they are eligible for tax credits for private insurance
or health programs like Children’s Health Insurance
Programs(CHIPs)
– Enroll in/purchase health insurance

4. What will each Exchange provide?
• A website and 1-800 hotline to ask questions and
purchase insurance
• Standardized plan descriptions for easy comparison by
consumers and small businesses
• Websites will feature a calculator to determine costs
• Plans will be pre-ranked according to price, coverage and
other variables

5. Who is eligible to use the Exchanges?
• The Accountable Care Act (ACA) requires:
• Employers with more than 50 full-time workers to offer health
insurance for employees and their families
• Each exchange to offer plans for consumer and small
businesses/groups (up to 100 employees)
• The plans offered to feature a minimum set of benefits or pay a tax
of $2,000 per employee for failing to do so (the tax will not apply
to the first 30 workers)
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6. What types of plans will exchanges offer?
• Commercial plans will be available through:
– Insurers
– Licensed insurance agents
– Insurance brokers
• Government plans will also be featured
– Medicaid
– CHIPs (Children’s Health Insurance Program)
– Other

7. How are plans chosen for exchanges?
• Plan coverages and other features are reviewed by
federal and state governments for the exchanges
– These are referred to as “Qualified Health Plans” or
“QHPs”
– Plans will be accepted, assessed and renewed upon
review approval on an ongoing basis

8. What will commercial plans provide?
• Ambulatory patient care
• Emergency medical services
• Hospitalization
• Maternity / newborn care
• Mental health, behavioral health and substance abuse
care
• Prescription medications
• Rehabilitative services, devices, patient care
• Laboratory testing services
• Preventative, wellness and chronic disease services
• Pediatric care that also features oral and vision care

9. What will state government plans provide?
• Medicaid and CHIPs plans differ from state to state
• Some states have more than one type of Medicaid
and/or CHIPs plans to better serve different needs
• Coverage will vary between states and the plans they
offer
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10. How will Exchange users choose a plan?
• They may choose by cost based on several variables
including age, employment status and income
• Some persons may qualify for a plan from a commercial
provider (Aetna, BlueCross BlueShield, Human, United
Healthcare, etc.)
• Other will be directed to Medicaid or other government-
sponsored plans

11. Can applicants be refused coverage?
• Yes, applicants may be denied, eligibility/coverage is not
automatic
• A formal appeal process will be available for exchange
customers
– More detailed guidelines are being developed for acceptance,
denial and appeal decisions

12. Who will operate the exchanges?
• Some exchanges will be run by individual states
• States may partner with the Federal government to jointly setup
and operate an exchange
• A state may opt out of the program and the Federal government
will operate one on their behalf
• Exchanges operated by the Federal government are expected to be
operated by the states at a later date
• After the election, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services,
Kathleen Sebelius, extended a January, 2013 deadline to February
14 th, 2013 for states to choose which option to choose

13. When will the exchanges be open?
• Exchanges will become operational 10/1/2013
– Consumers and small businesses can begin reviewing and
choosing plans
– Active coverage for beneficiaries will be effective 1/1/2014
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14. Is use of the exchanges mandatory?
• Individuals and small businesses can obtain health
insurance from any source they prefer
• The exchanges are intended to provide easily accessible,
comparative healthcare insurance information to
evaluate / purchase health insurance
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15. Why is Information Technology important?
• Exchange customer information will be cross-referenced
with data on file in State Medicaid and Children’s Health
Insurance Program (CHIP) plans to
• Consumer income will be verified through State-based
data sources
• Application information will be matched with plans
offered in the Exchange to determine which ones best
align to the Exchange customer’s needs

16. Who is paying for the Exchanges?
• Federal funding is covering much of the startup expenses
• By November, 2012, over $2 billion has been allocated to
support state activities to develop websites,
enrollment/eligibility management systems, etc.
• By 2014 the exchanges must be self-supporting through
fees collected from insurers using the exchanges to
market their plans
• For plans sold through Federal exchanges, insurers will
pay HHS 3.5% of the premium to support exchange costs

17. What are some concerns?
• Will exchanges be used by enough customers to remain
viable over time?
• Can exchanges be adequately funded over the long term?
• If insurers drop out, will remaining ones offer competitive
rates?
• As small businesses grow beyond 100 employees, how
can they economically migrate to a non-exchange plan?
• Coverage/cost issues as people move to another state
• Can the Federal government adequately oversee the
exchanges program, plan providers and service levels for
consumers/small businesses?

18. Summary
• Health insurance exchanges are a key component of
healthcare reform
• Significant cost, management and technology challenges
remain ahead for Federal and State governments in
launching /maintaining the exchanges
• Internal and external web-based technology will play a
pivotal role in the functionality of all exchanges
• Affordability and coverage issues are a concern for
potential consumer and small business customers

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