Lawmakers Approve Grant Funding For Health Insurance Exchange

Members of the Arkansas Legislative Council approved $16.5 million in federal grant money to launch aspects of the new health care law.

The council is the governing body of the state legislature during the interim period between sessions.

The Tuesday (May 28) vote will enact a number of outreach, education and enrollment programs. Rob Moritz with our content partner, the Arkansas News Bureau, reports:

Cynthia Crone, director of health insurance exchange planning for the state Insurance Department, said the state has already received $43 million from the federal government for the exchange and that the nearly $16.5 million grant would be used for enrollment assistance, outreach education, staffing claim management functions to be ready for open enrollment and beyond next year. Open enrollment this year is Oct. 1.

Crone said the state is contracting with 30 organizations that will provide workers known as guides to help consumers enroll in insurance through the exchange. The state will use federal money to fund the contracts and expects about 637 guides to be hired at $12 an hour.

Guides will be one of four types of assisters who will help people use the exchange. The others are navigators, who will be hired by the federal government; certified application counselors, who will be employees of entities such as hospitals, community health centers or consumers nonprofit organizations, and insurance agents or brokers.

The assisters are required under the federal Affordable Care Act and are needed with or without the private option.

You can read the full report here.