NASHCO issues statement on taking over of Iowa Insurance Division by CoOportunity Health

Dr. Martin Hickey, Chairman of the National Alliance of State Health CO-OPs' Board of Directors, made the following statement regarding the recent announcement that the Iowa Insurance Division is taking over CoOportunity Health.

"The news about CoOportunity Health is not a statement on the health insurance CO-OP program or the CO-OP concept; it's a reflection on the fact that all insurers – not just CO-OPs – are operating in unique markets with unique business plans and varying state regulations. The circumstances for CoOportunity Health in Iowa are not the same as those in the 23 other states in which CO-OPs are currently operating.

"In only a year's time, hundreds of thousands of Americans have chosen CO-OP health insurance plans to meet their healthcare needs. Beyond enrollment success, CO-OPs' impact can be felt via the lower average health insurance premiums in states with a CO-OP and through innovative CO-OP plan design that has created meaningful choice and competition within the health insurance marketplaces. These are indeed early signs of success on which CO-OPs can and will continue to build."