NovaRest’s Donna Novak and Wayne Novak returned this week from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners Spring 2012 National Meeting in New Orleans, LA.
Highlights of the 4 day conference included updates on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act including meetings with the Health Actuarial Task Force.
During a forum on health care exchanges, members discussed the establishment and operation of Exchanges, including SHOP Exchanges, the offering of qualified health plan through the Exchanges and the establishment of the reinsurance and risk adjustment program.
During the Health Insurance Managed Care Committee, members considered issues relating to all aspects of health insurance. Among the discussions were Ongoing Maintenance of NAIC Programs, Products or Services including responding to inquiries from Congress, the White House and federal agencies; analyzing policy implications and effect on states of proposed legislation and communicating NAIC’s position through letters and testimony when requested. The group also reviewed issues surrounding the uninsured/underinsured and strategies for achieving universal coverage, determine what contributions state insurance regulators, from their unique perspective, can make to the debate, and develop appropriate vehicles to convey any positions or principles the committee develops to a multiplicity of audiences.
Also helpful, according to Donna, was the NAIC/State Government Liason Committee where members discussed issues of common interest to regulators and state officials.
As a representative of the AAA, Donna also met with other AAA representatives and consumer representatives to talk about essential benefits and actuarial value.