Setting Up Health Exchanges Poses Major Challenges
Posted at 12:45 p.m. on Nov. 26, 2012
Sixteen states have declined to establish their own health care exchanges and five states have requested federal-state partnerships for their exchanges, posing “major logistical and financial challenges” to the Department of Health and Human Services, according to The Hill.
“HHS doesn’t have a lot of time to do a massive amount of work. The department could quickly run through a $1 billion fund designated for implementing the exchanges. Experts have predicted that the department will soon have to tap budgets from its other programs to cover exchange costs. Other have said it might charge fees on the insurance purchased in its exchanges once they are launched.”
“HHS will also construct a range of other systems: a federal data hub for verifying user identity; programs for user assistance; a way to certify that health plans meet federal standards; a way to navigate the exchanges via phone, or apply for coverage by mail; and so on.”
“The department has no knowledge of local insurance markets compared with state insurance regulators. It is also not likely to see its markets as a way to grapple with state-by-state health issues.”
