New Regulations Creating Health Care Marketplaces Are a “Major Milestone on the Path to Consumer Empowerment"

Today, the Department of Health and Human Services issued regulations designed to create new “exchanges”—marketplaces for consumers and businesses wishing to purchase health coverage. The following is the statement of Ron Pollack, Founding Executive Director of Families USA, the national organization for health care consumers, about this development:

“Today’s regulations are a major milestone on the path to consumer empowerment as families seek health coverage that is responsive to their needs. The regulations will help put families in the driver’s seat when they seek high-quality, affordable health coverage.

“Exchanges will play some notable roles that will be very helpful to consumers. They include:

• The initial enrollment window will last six months, from October 1, 2013, through March 31, 2014. This will give consumers and businesses the time to get used to, and to navigate, the new choices they will have.
  
  
• The exchanges will be required to have at least one voting exchange board member who is a representative of consumer interests.
  
  
• Each exchangewebsite will make it easy for people to shop for health coverage by enabling consumers to compare plans’ provider networks, the portion of premium dollars devoted to paying for care, and other measures of value they will receive.
  
  
• New rules to ensure that appropriate ‘navigators’ will be available to help consumers sort through the expanded coverage options.

“We commend the Department on these new regulations, and they demonstrate, once again, that the Affordable Care Act will be implemented in an effective and timely manner.”

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Families USA is the national organization for health care consumers. It is nonprofit and nonpartisan and advocates for high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans.

1201 New York Avenue NW, Suite 1100 · Washington, DC 20005
202-628-3030 · Email: info@familiesusa.org · www.familiesusa.org