Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011 - 7:56
Wednesday, August 3, 2011 - 07:44
Consumer advocates are concerned about health care industry reps serving on the boards of state insurance exchanges.
As if setting up insurance exchanges hasn't been difficult enough for states, there are also thorny problems when it comes to who is going to sit on the governing boards overseeing them.
As Politico reported earlier this week, consumer advocates are voicing concerns that health care industry reps -- brokers, agents, health plan executives -- will have too much representation on the health exchange governing boards.
HHS issued proposed regulations for the exchanges that prevent the health industry from having a majority of seats on the board. But in Colorado, as Politico reports, four of the nine board members are managed-care or insurance company executives -- too many in the eyes of insurance advocates.
The boards will decide important policy questions such as which health plans will be sold on the exchanges. Look for this dispute to flare up in states across the country.
