An exchange focuses competition on price. And the exchanges are intended to bring sunlight and transparence to the world of health insurance.
Exchanges will be designed as a place where individuals, small employers and eventually larger employers can shop and compare health insurance options.
The law requires that all states have an exchange in place by 2014. States can create their own or choose to let the federal government set the design.
Our New Hampshire Legislature and Executive Council have been stalwart in putting obstacles to a state-designed and implemented exchange.
This year, the Legislature has chosen to table a Senate bill that would set a process for a New Hampshire-designed exchange and made a committee recommendation to pass a leadership-sponsored bill (HB 1297) that New Hampshire “shall not plan, create, participate in or enable a state exchange for health insurance.”
Insurers, providers and small businesses support the concept that New Hampshire design an exchange that is unique to us, one best for New Hampshire. So why isn’t it happening?
Although Republicans can take credit for initiating the idea of an exchange – the conservative Heritage Foundation first touted the idea – many Republicans, and most certainly those extreme members of the Legislature, find all things “Obamacare “objectionable, apparently whether good policy or not.
Let’s look for the silver lining. If our Legislature persists on its current path, the federal government will design an exchange for us. Perhaps given the lack of leadership in our Legislature, that might turn out to be a good thing.
http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/opinionperspectives/951510-263/nh-should-create-its-own-exchanges.html
Hat Tip: Nashua Telegraph
No comments:
Post a Comment