Health Insurance Exchanges Proposed Regulation: An Emphasis on State Flexibility
<p>Last week the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued its proposed regulation for several features of the new health insurance exchanges that states are to establish under the Affordable Care Act. In a new two-part <a href="/blog/2011/hhss-proposed-regulation-health-insurance-exchanges-emphasis-state-flexibility-part-i">blog post</a>, Sara Collins, Ph.D., vice president for Affordable Health Insurance at The Commonwealth Fund, says that the rule provides states maximum flexibility to tailor the exchanges to their particular insurance markets, employer communities, and populations within the boundaries established by the health reform law. </p>
<p>In the first post, published today, Collins highlights selected aspects of the proposed rule that provide new flexibility for states or answer key questions about how the exchanges will operate in practice: <br /></p>
<ul>
<li>What must states do to win federal approval by January 1, 2013, to operate their exchanges? </li>
<li>By what criteria will Massachusetts and Utah gain federal approval for their existing exchanges? </li>
<li>When can individuals and small business start signing up for coverage? </li>
<li>How will individuals and small businesses find health plans that meet their needs?</li>
</ul>
<p>Visit <a href="/blog/2011/hhss-proposed-regulation-health-insurance-exchanges-emphasis-state-flexibility-part-i">The Commonwealth Fund Blog</a> to read the complete post. <br /></p>