Health Connector Web Site, Marketplace Interim Director Discussed

From John Lyon with our content partner, the Arkansas News Bureau:

The state Insurance Department’s website providing information on the new health insurance marketplace has gone dormant just as the marketplace has launched because of state legislative action to block funding, the marketplace’s board of directors heard Wednesday.

Also Wednesday, the board took steps toward seeking a federal grant to pay for its operations, and a committee of board members discussed hiring an interim executive director.

After the board adjourned, its search committee met and discussed the possibility of hiring an interim executive director and/or a consultant to head the marketplace until a permanent executive director is chosen.

“I think our recommendation should be something along the lines of, OK, we think the full board should consider the possibility of hiring an interim director, and/or a consultant, or a combination thereof, with the idea that we have one director, interim-wise, with two support staff,” said Steve Faris of Hot Springs, the committee’s chairman.

Mike Castleberry of Little Rock said former state Insurance Commissioner Mike Pickens would be qualified for the job of interim executive director. He said he had spoken to Pickens and that “he is interested.”

During a discussion of how much to pay an executive director, the committee heard a report from legislative attorney Jessica Middleton-Kurylo, who offered examples of marketplace directors’ annual pay in four other states. She said directors are paid $225,000 in Connecticut, $155,000 in Hawaii, $105,000 in Minnesota and $100,000 in Kentucky.

Read the full article at this link.