The creation of Health
Insurance Exchanges (HIEs) is among the most important changes to the
health care system made by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The HIEs are
marketplaces where consumers and small businesses can shop for private
health insurance plans. Many anesthesia and pain medicine patients will
be covered by health plans participating in HIEs beginning as soon as
October 2013. Payment rates under such plans have the potential to make
or break providers. Additionally, some group practices may choose to
offer coverage through the HIEs. A basic familiarity with HIE structure
and operations is therefore in order.
Who
The ACA provides that
effective January 1, 2014, there shall be at least one HIE in each of
the fifty states. States have the option of (1) setting up their own
HIEs, (2) partnering with the federal government to run an exchange, or
(3) opting out—in which case, the Department of...
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