Illinois's ABE Exchange-Marketplace

[AllenChicago]

Re: Illinois' ABE Exchange-Marketplace

You mean they didn't call it Barack? With Chicago politics running the state, I am very surprised!

I don't think Barack will be moving back to Illinois and certainly not his current Chicago home. There's a bus stop/shelter on his block, but no one will wait for the bus in it, because gang-bangers drive by and murder people inside. This morning, a kid was waiting for the bus BEHIND the bus stop for this very reason, yet a bullet went through, or around the structure and killed him anyway.

Back on topic...

This morning our office was visited by a manager from one of the local, regional health insurers. The company had no plans to go on our ABE state/federal partnership exchange. But because interest in it by the major carriers (except BCBS-Illinois) has been virtually non-existent, this company was contacted by HHS and "strongly urged" to apply as an ABE exchange carrier. They won't have their plans/prices ready for submission by the national April 30th deadline but were given some additional time.

In addition to the taxes, fees and other restrictions placed upon companies that want to operate in the Illinois Exchange, they have to follow the guidelines laid out in this 26 page "how to" guide.
Ref: http://insurance.illinois.gov/cb/2013/CB2013-06.pdf

It's no wonder that companies are hesitant to join exchanges. I suspect that the other states have similar requirements.
-AC

 

[AllenChicago]

It looks like the government "urging" of carriers onto the Illinois exchange has worked..a little bit. There will now officially be SIX insurance companies offering QHPlans on the ABE exchange, pending state approval.

Story: Fewer carriers than expected apply for Illinois health marketplace; raises national concerns

From an Illinois' agent point of view, this is good news, because we only have to be licensed with 6 carriers in order to certify with the ABE Marketplace.
-ac

 

[timsip]

It looks like the government "urging" of carriers onto the Illinois exchange has worked..a little bit. There will now officially be SIX insurance companies offering QHPlans on the ABE exchange, pending state approval.

Story: Fewer carriers than expected apply for Illinois health marketplace; raises national concerns

From an Illinois' agent point of view, this is good news, because we only have to be licensed with 6 carriers in order to certify with the ABE Marketplace.
-ac

I wasn't aware that you had to be contracted with all carriers in order to sell on the exchange...I thought you could carry your current contracts and sell only those?

 

[stuy119]

It would have been nice to have listed the carriers who have applied so far.

Just received a couple of calls from people in hospital positions who are curious about who the 6 companies are. Apparently this is a secret for now.

 

[AllenChicago]

I wasn't aware that you had to be contracted with all carriers in order to sell on the exchange...I thought you could carry your current contracts and sell only those?

Tim, I've read in several HHS documents that anyone certified to sell on the Exchange must mention all carriers. Knowing how government is taking an extreme position on "fairness" in regard to the exchanges, it would stand to reason that we would be required to be licensed with each company, in order to give fair and balanced guidance.

I've seen the actual wording and I'll attempt dig it up and post it here when i get the chance.
-Allen
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

It would have been nice to have listed the carriers who have applied so far.

Just received a couple of calls from people in hospital positions who are curious about who the 6 companies are. Apparently this is a secret for now.

So far, we know of three.
BCBS-IL
Land of Lincoln (new carrier backed by the government)
United Health

-AC

 

[stuy119]

So far, we know of three.
BCBS-IL
Land of Lincoln (new carrier backed by the government)
United Health

-AC

Tell me more, as I have heard nothing about this.

I just realized, maybe appropriately, that their abbreviation is LOL.

 

[Ann H]

On the recently issued CMS document about the role of agents found here http://cciio.cms.gov/resources/regulations/Files/agent-broker-5-1-2013.pdf, page 6, section 3 says:

When assisting qualified individuals enrolling through a Marketplace, must an agent or broker display all QHPs? Must an agent or broker be able to enroll individuals in all QHPs?

With the exception of web-brokers, the Exchange final rule does not require agents and brokers to display all QHPs or to facilitate enrollment into all QHPs (see 45 C.F.R. §155.220).

State-based Marketplaces have discretion to implement policies that would require agents and brokers to display all QHPs. For example, State-based Marketplaces may establish additional requirements for QHP issuers under state law or as part of the Statebased Marketplace QHP certification process, consistent with the Exchange final rule. Statebased Marketplaces may also provide information to consumers on agent and broker relationships with issuers, including issuer appointment and compensation arrangements.

In Federally-facilitated Marketplaces, including State Partnership Marketplaces, CMS will not require agents and brokers to facilitate enrollment into all available QHPs. If the agent or broker is using the Marketplace pathway to assist consumers, all QHP choices will be displayed. All agents and brokers must comply with applicable state laws, regulations, and
Marketplace requirements, including standards related to relationships or appointments with issuers.
​

 

[timsip]

Tim, I've read in several HHS documents that anyone certified to sell on the Exchange must mention all carriers. Knowing how government is taking an extreme position on "fairness" in regard to the exchanges, it would stand to reason that we would be required to be licensed with each company, in order to give fair and balanced guidance.

I've seen the actual wording and I'll attempt dig it up and post it here when i get the chance.
-Allen

I am basing my thought process off of the HHS release on 5/1 "Role of Agents, Brokers, and Web-brokers in Health Insurance Marketplaces" that was posted in the thread with the same title:

3. When assisting qualified individuals enrolling through a Marketplace, must an agent or broker display all QHPs? Must an agent or broker be able to enroll individuals in all QHPs?
With the exception of web-brokers, the Exchange final rule does not require agents and
brokers to display all QHPs or to facilitate enrollment into all QHPs (see 45 C.F.R.
§155.220)

This is also where the question of what HHS considers a web broker comes about.

 

[Yagents]

Expected 16, got 6........mmmmmmmmmm.

Illinois officials had been estimating that 16 different carriers would offer 260 health plans through their state's exchange. The officials based that estimate on a survey the Illinois Department of Insurance conducted last fall.

Do I see gov't money crowding out the private sector.....mmmmmmm. Lowest price wins business in the exchange

Land of Lincoln Health, the only CO-OP in Illinois, has received $160 million in CO-OP startup financing from the federal government. Dan Yunker, Land of Lincoln Health CEO, said Wednesday that the organization hopes its premium prices will be the lowest on the marketplace. The company has submitted multiple health plans to the state.Prices will be kept low, Yunker said, because consumers will govern the CO-OP, and "our executives are never going to take huge big paychecks.


Illinois PPACA exchange attracts 6 carriers | LifeHealthPro

 

[stuy119]

Let us assume that LoL wins a lot of business due to being the "low price leader." Let us also assume that Aetna's CEO is correct, and that it will take a while until there is an uptick in exchange business, and only sick people will flock to the exchanges.

What happens then, when LoL isn't able to keep their head above water? Bailout?