Colorado Exchange Board Approves Fee On Small Group, Individual And Stop-Loss Policies

Meanwhile, in other state exchange news, more detail has emerged regarding the safety of health data for hundreds of Access Health CT customers, and a federal agency will examine MNsure's enrollment procedures.

Denver Post:  Colorado Health Exchange Board OKs Fee
The state health exchange board approved a $66 million budget and a $13 million funding stream Monday to run the nonprofit as the federal grant money runs out. Connect for Health Colorado board members, in a nearly unanimous vote, approved the 2015 fiscal year budget and $1.25 monthly assessment on all small group, individual and stop loss (policies by self-insured entities to cover catastrophic losses) health insurance policies in the state (Kane, 6/9).

Health News Colorado: Exchange Board Approves $66 Million Budget Including $13 Million Fee
Colorado’s health exchange board on Monday approved a $66.4 million budget for the next fiscal year to be funded in part by a $13 million fee on all Coloradans with health insurance. The costs to run the exchange are far higher than the $26 million a year that managers have long anticipated. They are continuing to spend federal tax dollars for some of the expenses and have vowed to reduce costs to about $26 million in future years (McCrimmon, 6/10).

The CT Mirror: Backpack With Access Health Data Taken To House GOP Office
The backpack containing personal information on hundreds of clients of Connecticut’s health insurance exchange was left outside a Hartford deli Thursday afternoon by a worker from the exchange’s call center. His employer believes the man, who sat outside the deli while waiting for a ride, left it behind accidentally. Another man later found the backpack, then called the office of his state representative, Republican Jay Case of Winsted. After the man brought the backpack to the Legislative Office Building, a GOP staffer notified the exchange’s chief executive around noon Friday (Becker, 6/9).

Minnesota Public Radio: Federal Agency To Review MNsure Procedures
A watchdog agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will audit Minnesota's online health insurance marketplace to determine if its internal controls were effective in ensuring that individuals who enrolled in qualified health plans met federal requirements. MNsure leaders expect the review to be part of an audit of state-based insurance marketplaces, said MNsure spokesman Joe Campbell. "Our understanding is that it's part of a national audit requested by Congress," he said (Stawicki, 6/9).