November 23, 2010: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued initial guidance for states about the establishment of health insurance exchanges under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). HHS’s guidance document is meant to assist states with their overall planning in light of the coming legislative season, with official regulations to be issued for public comment in the spring of 2011.
The HHS guidance document explains
- The principles and priorities that will inform federal funding and technical support for states as they establish exchanges;
- The §1311 statutory requirements for exchanges, including the oversight responsibilities of exchanges as well as the minimum functions that exchanges must undertake; and
- The schedule and requirements for the next round of federal exchange grants, which will be awarded for the purposes of establishing exchanges.
View the initial guidance document on exchanges from HHS.
SHADAC recently released an issue brief to guide states as they move forward with exchange implementation. The brief, titled, “Health Insurance Exchanges: Implementation and Data Considerations for States and Existing Models for Comparison,” presents key implementation and data considerations for states as they contemplate the creation and role of the insurance exchanges under the ACA. The brief also profiles four state exchanges launched under state health reform initiatives that predated the ACA.