Pennsylvania- Questions Raised About Proposal for State Exchange

Advocates for health insurance reform are taking a dim view of a draft proposal for the state's health insurance exchange, saying it could keep the playing field tilted in favor of insurance companies and against consumers.

Speaking at a conference call Friday, Antoinette Kraus, project director of Pennsylvania Health Access Network, a coalition of organizations supporting consumer-friendly health reform, said the draft proposal distributed by the state Insurance Department, if enacted, would not change the status quo.

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But the department's draft proposal, dated Jan. 30, would allow "multiple exchanges" that could be operated by private contractors, Kraus said. The exchanges would not necessarily be regional operations, she said.

The 32-page draft says an office set up to oversee the exchange could "authorize one or more entities… to operate exchanges in the marketplace." The draft suggests that exchanges could be solely directed to providing insurance opportunities to individuals, with others providing insurance opportunities to small businesses.

http://articles.mcall.com/2012-02-06/health/mc-pennsylvania-insurance-exchange-draft-20120205_1_insurance-exchange-health-insurance-insurance-department

Hat tip: The Morning Call