State Insurance Exchanges Go For Flashy (Or Not) Branding

New York named its health exchange, complete with new logo and ad. In Idaho, the GOP governor, a vocal opponent of the health law, lauds his state's insurance marketplace. Meanwhile, Florida officials express concerns about the federal exchange's "navigator" concept. 

The Associated Press/Wall Street Journal: New Ad Encourages NYers To Enroll In Insurance
New York's health benefit exchange has a new name, logo and look. Officials said Tuesday the federal overhaul expected to bring coverage to more than a million people statewide is now dubbed "NY State of Health" (8/20).

Kaiser Health News: Capsules: With A Nod To Billy Joel, N.Y. Brands Obamacare Marketplace
The marketplaces, one of the key ways the health care law extends coverage to the uninsured, open for enrollment Oct. 1, selling policies that will take effect Jan. 1. New York exchange officials announced last month that average premiums sold on the exchange would be about half the price they are today for individuals who buy their own insurance (Galewitz, 8/20).

Kaiser Health News: Capsules: GOP Gov Extols Exchange 'Run By Idahoans For Idahoans'
Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter, a Republican, said he still hopes the federal health law gets repealed. But with some of the law’s biggest changes taking effect in less than six weeks, he sounded like a proud papa Tuesday in announcing the name of his state’s new online health insurance marketplace: Your Health Idaho. Idaho is the only state under complete Republican control that is running its own marketplace (Galewitz, 8/20).

NPR: Fla. Balks At Insurance Navigators As Obamacare Deadline Nears
As a group, navigators will play a key role in helping carry out one of the Affordable Care Act's missions — to bring coverage to millions of people who currently have no health insurance. ... As part of the enrollment process, navigators will look at tax records, take Social Security numbers and have access to sensitive health information. Sebelius says her agency has done similar work for many years with Medicare and Medicaid recipients and that the rules in place safeguard privacy (Allen, 8/20).

Health News Florida: 'Navigators' Too Risky: Cabinet
State Cabinet officials expressed concern Tuesday that the federal government's "navigator" plan would place Floridians' personal information in danger. They urged citizens to use state-licensed insurance agents to get help deciding which is the best insurance plan when the federal online Marketplace opens Oct. 1 (Gentry, 8/20).