Policy Price

CALIFORNIA: The California Department of Insurance (CDI) has announced the release of e-mail notification system that will alert consumers when new individual health insurance rate filings are submitted.  CDI has previously announced that it would begin publicizing rate filings for individual health insurance policies.  Consumers are able to sign up online in the manner used for traditional e-mail updates.  CDI has also developed a consumer website with rate filing information.

NEW JERSEY: Following recent enactment of Governor Chris Christie’s budget, the Democrat-controlled legislature passed supplemental appropriations bills to restore million in funding for state’s uninsured health coverage program, known as FamilyCare, as well as .4 million in aid for women’s health and family planning programs. The FamilyCare restoration, if signed into law, would have allowed adults with income between 134 to 200 percent of the federal poverty level to remain in the program. Despite bipartisan support in the Senate, Governor Christie vetoed the legislation, saying that the state has reset spending to a level that taxpayers can afford. Legislative leadership has indicated they may try to override the governor’s veto. Overriding the governor’s veto would require a two-thirds majority in both houses.

NEW MEXICO: The Public Regulation Commission (PRC) has appointed John G. Franchini as the new Superintendent of Insurance, a position that has been vacant since the May 4 resignation of his predecessor, Morris Chavez.  Franchini was selected from among five finalists and will assume his new duties in mid-August.

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OHIO: While the Strickland Administration has advised state agencies to begin planning for the next biennium at both current levels and with a 10 percent cut in funding levels, the Budget Planning and Management Commission has been conducting hearings preparing for Ohio’s biennial budget adoption. The current budget ends on June 30, 2011 and is billions in the red. Testimony before the Commission has focused on increasing efficiencies by combining certain administrative functions of local and state governments and utilizing performance audits to determine if tax dollars are being spent efficiently. The Center for Community Solutions suggested to legislators that principal stakeholders in Medicaid (such as managed care companies and hospitals) be given budget targets and be asked to come up with ways to slow the growth of Medicaid. Conversely, the Health Policy Institute of Ohio guided legislators to the possibility of Ohio “rebalancing” its long-term care spending to shift utilization from long-term care facilities to home and community-based services.

While PPACA-related budget priorities will take place after the next biennial budget is adopted, it was previously determined that the federal expansion of Medicaid eligibility as part of health care reform will cost the state 0 million in 2014 –rising to 2 million by 2019. Absent any federal law changes, annual costs will rise substantially in 2020 and beyond, as the federal government’s match for new enrollees will drop to 90 percent of the total cost. The total state cost of Medicaid expansion from 2014 to 2019 is projected to be .45 billion.

OKLAHOMA: The Department of Insurance (DOI) announced last week that a final contract for the new temporary high-risk pool has been signed and sent back to HHS.  The DOI is in the process of drafting the application that will be used with the pool.  Oklahoma was awarded million for use over 40 months.  Several candidates are being interviewed to be the High Risk Pool Manager.  Open enrollment will begin August 1 with an effective date of September 1.  Additionally, Oklahoma was the only state to request an open enrollment period for the PPACA provision requiring coverage of children under 19 in the individual market.  HHS has decided open enrollment periods will be permitted at the discretion of insurance companies.  On a separate issue, the Oklahoma Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments to take place on August 4 in the lawsuit filed by Commissioner Kim Holland, on behalf of the DOI, challenging the constitutionality of a new 1 percent claims-paid fee passed by the legislature in late May.  The bill is scheduled to take effect August 27, absent court intervention.

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