ARE YOU SIGNED UP AS AN INSURANCE EXCHANGE PROVIDER?

On October 1, 2013, uninsured patients will be able to start signing up for health care insurance in the newly formed Insurance Exchanges (Marketplaces) which will become effective January 1, 2014. This means that decisions currently are being made regarding which health plans will be qualified to provide insurance coverage for individuals applying for insurance through the exchanges (marketplace) in your state. Regardless of whether your state has chosen to utilize the federal program, develop its own program, or develop a shared program with the federal government, your state Insurance Commissioner’s Office will have oversight of the program. It is important to contact the Office of the Insurance Commissioner to be sure that you are among those providers that patients may choose as their health care provider in this program. If you have patients in your practice who are paying cash and hold no insurance, you need to check to be sure that you will be their provider under the policy that your patient will be expected to purchase. If you find that you are not considered to be an eligible provider, it will be important for you to challenge this decision (in light of the nondiscrimination statute in the Affordable Care Act (ACA)), and to communicate with us regarding your ineligibility so that we can inform HHS of this problem. In addition, all consumer questions and complaints are to be fielded by the state Department of Insurance. For further information, visit HealthCare.gov or marketplace.cms.gov. If you have further, questions feel free to contact AANP.