MNsure Audit Finds Shortcomings In Controls For Spending, Premium Collections
Elsewhere, Colorado Health News reports on why some consumers will get less tax help in purchasing their coverage through the state's online insurance marketplace, and a small business exchange is launched in Illinois.
Minneapolis Star-Tribune:
Audit: MNsure Lacked Some Accounting Controls
An audit of the MNsure insurance exchange has found that it had “generally adequate” internal controls for spending public money, but it took issue with how officials expanded a marketing contract earlier this year. (Snowbeck, 10/29)
Minnesota Public Radio:
Audit Details MNsure Spending, Internal Control Problems
MNsure, the state's new online health insurance marketplace, lacked adequate control over its big marketing budget and hasn't always complied with rules laid out by state and federal officials, or its own board, the state legislative auditor said in a report released Tuesday. (10/28)
The Associated Press:
Audit Finds MNsure Missteps With Marketing Work
Minnesota’s health insurance exchange failed to properly authorize over $925,000 in marketing work and didn’t update its contract with its vendor to cover it until after the job was done, Legislative Auditor James Nobles reported Tuesday. He also found that MNsure lacked adequate internal controls over premiums collected from insurance applicants and didn’t maintain proper inventories of equipment purchased with federal funds. (Karnowski, 10/28)
Health News Colorado:
Consumers Squeezed As Tax Credits, Insurance Rates Drop
Even though health insurance rates dropped in Colorado for 2015, many consumers might have to pay a bigger share of the bill. Aggressive cost cuts from the Colorado HealthOP, which is the low-cost carrier in every county but one in the state, helped reduce insurance rates overall. But because tax subsidies are tied to the lowest rates for mid-level “silver” plans, tax help for consumers is also declining. (Kerwin McCrimmon, 10/28)
The Chicago Tribune:
Small Business Health Exchange Launches In Illinois
The Affordable Care Act's online health insurance marketplaces for small businesses launched Monday in Illinois and four other states, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Small businesses in Illinois — as well as Delaware, Missouri, New Jersey and Ohio — will get a chance to pre-enroll in the Small Business Health Options Program, or SHOP, but won't be able to see or select plans until the Affordable Care Act begins open enrollment Nov. 15. (Hirst, 10/28)
In other news, the House Science Committee has issued a subpoena to Todd Park, the Obama administration's former chief technology officer, to testify about his role in the oversight of healthcare.gov -
The Hill:
House Subpoenas Former HealthCare.gov Official
The House Science Committee has issued a subpoena for former U.S. Chief Technology Officer Todd Park over his role in developing HealthCare.gov. Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) issued the subpoena for the Obama administration’s former top tech advisor, demanding that he testify about his oversight of the ObamaCare website, including its security protocols. (Hattem, 10/28)
And on the Medicaid expansion front -
The Tennessean:
Gov. Haslam: Little Progress In Medicaid Expansion Plans
Plans to find a way to expand Medicaid eligibility for Tennessee residents aren’t moving as quickly as expected, Gov. Bill Haslam said Tuesday morning. ... In August Haslam announced he wanted to find a plan to expand Medicaid coverage in some form, working with U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell. The governor told reporters then that he hoped to submit a plan to federal health officials sometime in the fall. On Tuesday he said it’s been more difficult working with those officials than he originally anticipated. “It sounds simple, but it really is hard to find something that we can get approved in Washington and pass in the legislature ...,” Haslam said. (Boucher, 10/28)
