Uncertainty and Frustration Abound With Health Insurance Changes

Michael Tilley with our content partner, The City Wire, takes an in-depth look at several different perspectives in the emerging health insurance reform debate.

As Arkansas moves forward with its health insurance exchanges, uncertainty and frustration are gnawing at professionals in the industry.

Here’s the story’s line-up:

Dennis Jumper, owner of Conway-based Arkansas Training Solutions and a lead healthcare-implementation trainer for the state of Arkansas, said “everybody is pulling their hair out” trying to get consistent information on new rules and regulations.

Cal Kellogg, an executive vice president for Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield, said, “The issue for us is all the uncertainty it creates.”

With less than 30 days before insurance carriers have to submit qualifying plans for Arkansas’ HIM, Arkansas QualChoice President & CEO Mike Stock said the company is “continuing to assess and implement operational changes needed to meet demands of new law.”

Jennifer Parks, who represents HealthPointe Insurance Services and has clients in the Northwest Arkansas and Fort Smith areas, said frustration is building among agents and business owners who can’t get pricing plans and policy guidelines for 2014.

“People are terrified because they don’t know what is going to happen,” Parks said.

Read the full story and analysis from The City Wire at this link.