By: Marti Lolli
This is an amazing time to work in health care. I’ve never seen a time in this industry where there have been so many changes occurring at such a fast pace to address issues around the quality, affordability and access to health care.
There might be growing pains, but the uninsured population is starting to shrink.
It is my role at Priority Health to immerse myself in the Affordable Care Act. My goal is to understand the ins and outs of Health Care Reform; and yes, I read every lengthy, legal document.
I use this information to help Priority Health stay nimble enough to quickly adapt to new ways of doing business and to help our organization create new and innovative product offerings.
There might be growing pains, but the uninsured population is starting to shrink.
More importantly, I work to understand the information so I can share it with our community. It is intricate and often confusing but it is crucial to understand as it impacts our state.
Below is a quick recap of changes that have occurred during the last year:
- When the National Marketplace opened, there were technical glitches with the site. This led to duplicate copies of enrollments and some information was tagged incorrectly. The government is still working through these issues but we are confident that the system is better prepared to meet the influx of enrollees scheduled to enroll Nov. 15.
- Individuals who are more comfortable with their pre-ACA plans are able to keep those plans through 2016. Prior to this formal change, Priority Health had reached out to the Department of Insurance in Michigan to obtain a similar extension for all Priority Health plans. It was important to us that we gave consumers additional time to choose an ACA health plan and weigh their options.
- The Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) exchange was delayed. The requirements for small businesses have been delayed through 2016. This is continuing to fluctuate and we continue to monitor it closely.
As we approach the second round of open enrollment beginning on Nov. 15, we are expecting additional changes.
It’s important to stay on top of this information. I encourage you to connect with Priority Health as we continue to provide information about ongoing developments.
This site will also be a great resource as changes arise – continue to check in for more information.
About the Author: Marti Lolli leads development of health care products to meet the needs of employers and consumers. She is also responsible for setting health care reform strategies and tactics for commercial, individual and government programs. Marti works across the company to identify opportunities and risks within the Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and its associated regulations as they are issued, as well as ensuring that corporate strategies and tactics are implemented.
