States struggle with exchange planning; more guidance from feds coming soon

The Medicaid exchange rule is expected to be released soon. Meanwhile, states that didn't create exchanges this year are facing crunch time.

The Hill: Lack Of State Exchange Laws Squeezes Planning Effort, Officials Say
States that didn't create an insurance exchange this year say they're now facing a time crunch that requires them to push the entire process forward at once. Governors in 10 states have signed laws authorizing an exchange — the new insurance marketplaces created by health care reform (Baker, 7/27).

CQ HealthBeat: Medicaid Exchange Rule Expected Soon
Medicaid officials will soon issue a proposed rule that top agency official Cindy Mann said Wednesday would outline the "rules of the road for eligibility and enrollment" for the program's 2014 expansion under the health care overhaul law. The Office of Management and Budget received the proposal on June 28 and is conducting a final review, according to a notation on its website (Adams, 7/27).

The Hill: Next Round Of Exchanges Rules May Tackle Enrollment
The Health and Human Services Department plans to give states more guidance soon on the technical processes for enrolling people in newly created insurance exchanges. Cindy Mann, the director of the HHS office that administers Medicaid, said Wednesday that "rules of the road" on enrollment and eligibility determinations would be the next regulation HHS releases on the exchanges (Baker, 7/27).

The Connecticut Mirror: States All Over The Map On Exchange Creation
The federal reform law requires each state to have a health insurance exchange — a marketplace for buying coverage — by 2014. ... Connecticut is one of 13 states where legislation establishing an exchange has been enacted. In 15 states, including New York, Rhode Island, Maine and New Hampshire, exchange legislation failed to pass, while in 10 states no exchange legislation was proposed (Levin Becker, 7/27).

California Healthline: Public Agency Takes Up Political Hammer
The board of the California Health Benefit Exchange voted last week to oppose a bill that would establish a basic health plan and to urge the lawmakers behind AB 52, which would regulate rate increases by insurers, to exempt the exchange from that law (Gorn, 7/27).