Still Much to Be Done for Health Insurance Reform

The New Hampshire House Committee on Commerce and Consumer Affairs (of which I am a member) has oversight responsibility for implementation of the new Healthcare Exchanges that are mandated under the Affordable Care Act (aka  “ACA” or “Obamacare”).

Healthcare Exchanges are not themselves insurers, but they are intended to help insurers (such as Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield or Harvard Pilgrim) comply with the consumer protection provisions of ACA and compete in cost-efficient ways, and to facilitate the expansion of insurance coverage to more people. This is what has occurred in the state-run Health Connector exchange in Massachusetts and it will be the way that all healthcare insurance will be purchased across the country beginning on January 1, 2014.

Earlier this week, representatives from the New Hampshire Insurance Department came to our committee to provide us with an overview of what needs to be done this year to ensure that New Hampshire is in full compliance with ACA by January 1, 2014. 

Under ACA, each state in the country has the right to establish a State Run Healthcare Exchange, enter into a State-Federal Partnership Healthcare Exchange or adopt a Federally Run Healthcare Exchange.  

The last legislature passed a bill (HB 1297) that prohibited the state from establishing a State Run Healthcare Exchange and the deadline for states to notify the federal government that they wish to establish a State Run Healthcare Exchange has now expired. 

We now face a February 15 deadline to notify the federal government whether or not New Hampshire wishes to join a State-Federal Partnership Healthcare Exchange.  The advantage of this approach over a Federally Run Healthcare Exchange is that the New Hampshire Insurance Department will still have regulatory authority and how the exchange is administered in New Hampshire can be tailored to the needs of New Hampshire residents.   No legislative action is required to take advantage of this opportunity but Governor Hassan does have to send a letter to the federal Department of Health and Human Services by February 15.  

Whether we decide to join a State-Federal Partnership Healthcare Exchange or a Federally Run Healthcare Exchange, the exchange that we do select must be up and running by October 1, 2013, so that individuals and small groups can make their benefit plan elections for January 1, 2014.   In order to be up and running by October 1, 2013, carriers wishing to offer plans to be included in the exchange must submit their proposals to the state or federal government by April 1, 2013….and before that can happen the specific minimum requirements that must be offered in all plans must be finalized.

The bottom line is that there is still much work that needs to be done to fully implement ACA and to fully understand the impact it will have on New Hampshire residents and businesses.   This is only one area that the House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee will be working on.  To learn more go to our committee webpage at NH House Commmittee on Commerce and Consumer Affairs .  I will do my best to keep you informed of all of our work but if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at chris.muns@leg.state.nh.us .

Go Pats!