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The Connecticut Health Insurance Exchange: A February 2013 Update

In January, I provided a general overview of the Connecticut Health Insurance Exchange. The following is the second in our series of updates to keep you informed on developments regarding our state exchange. Should you want or need additional information, you may find it here.

New Name:
The Connecticut Health Insurance Exchange has selected a new brand name for the program—Access Health CT. Work on a new logo is underway and will be released shortly.

Carrier Updates:
As noted in my last update, five medical carriers have submitted letters of intent to participate in the Exchange effective January 1, 2014—Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, ConnectiCare, Health CT and United Healthcare. In addition, four dental carriers have indicated they will look to provide dental coverage via Access Health CT as well—Delta Dental, Guardian Life Insurance Company, MetLife and Renaissance Dental.

Notice Postponement:
The Affordable Care Act includes a notification requirement for employers to distribute to employees regarding the existence of a State Exchange. Originally, the notification deadline was March 1, 2013. The Department of Labor has recently postponed this requirement (and the development of a sample notification) until late Summer or early Fall.

Silver Plan – Proposed Design:
There will be four metal tiers of plan designs (Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum) to provide choices within the exchange. On January 17th, Access Health CT released a draft of their efforts to date on developing the Silver Plan design that will be offered through the exchange. In general, the Silver Plan will cover approximately 70% of total costs of services. This draft was released for public comment as they continue their work to finalize design elements. You can access this document here.

Pricing:
Once Access Health CT has determined the plan design details, each participating carrier will then have the ability to develop their pricing. It has been forecast that actual rates will likely not be available until late summer.

Will Access Health CT be Ready in Time?
This $64,000 question is one we hear from clients and colleagues alike.  To their credit, Access Health CT appears to be executing their plan on schedule to meet the October 1, 2013 open enrollment deadline. Though it appears Connecticut should be ready, the larger variable will be the federal government’s ability to support the state exchanges on time. The technology interfaces and data sharing required of the various government agencies (DOL, IRS, CMS, DHS etc…) must be ready in 7.5 months to meet the deadline. Suffice it to say it is a race against the clock.

Remember to check back with us for periodic updates as changes to the shape of Access Health CT take place. As always, if you have any questions about this topic, please don’t hesitate to call us at 800-364-7575.

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