Health Insurance Exchange Summit Set

On Tuesday, Oct. 11, Arkansas Insurance Commissioner Jay Bradford will host a stakeholder summit for health insurance exchanges in Little Rock that will include State Surgeon General Dr. Joe Thompson.

The event, to be held at the Embassy Suites, will also feature former federal director of Health Insurance Exchanges, Joel Ario.
 
“I am extremely excited about this opportunity to share with Arkansans the facts about what an Exchange is and what a locally operated one can do to protect and serve the citizens of our state,” said Bradford.  “I hope our citizens will take advantage of this opportunity to contribute to the Exchange planning process and the ongoing effort to keep the Exchange under  state rather than federal control,” Bradford said.

Ario, a former insurance commissioner in Pennsylvania and Oregon, will provide a federal perspective on exchange development while Dr. Thompson will discuss a state perspective. 

Afternoon sessions at the summit will include panelists from the health care industry, insurance agents/brokers, employers, and consumer advocates who will discuss what type of Exchange best fits the needs of Arkansans. 

Health insurance exchanges have been a hot topic of debate (see here and here) in Arkansas since the last legislative session. For more information, visit this link.