Reality Check: Defining Expectations for the State Health Insurance Exchanges

Across the country, state policymakers and federal regulators are working out the details of establishing new health insurance exchanges, which will help families and small businesses purchase coverage, with federal subsidies available for many. Enrolling up to 30 million individuals and small business employees by 2020 will be a significant operational undertaking for states.

But the exchanges can also serve as tools for reforming the health system even further. In a new blog post, Rhode Island Health Insurance Commissioner Christopher Koller calls on the designers of the exchanges to clarify and prioritize the additional goals for the exchanges, such as reforming health care delivery, setting and enforcing performance standards for health insurers, and stimulating insurers to enter local markets. Read the full post...