Joel Ario Quoted on Rate Negotiations Between HHS and Insurers
"Sebelius: Administration Is Negotiating Rates In Federal Exchanges"
Kaiser Health News
June 24, 2013 - Manatt's Joel Ario, a managing director with Manatt Health Solutions, spoke to Kaiser Health News about the Health & Human Services' rate negotiations with health insurance providers looking to sell policies in federal exchanges.
As reported by Kaiser Health News, Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that the Obama administration is currently negotiating rates with insurers looking to sell policies in federally-run health exchanges next fall. HHS officials said last year that they would not use the "active purchaser" exchange model, meaning that they will not bar insurers that offer rates they deemed uncompetitive.
Ario said that negotiations between HHS and the carriers could be a win for both consumers and insurers.
"In a marketplace where some insurers know they priced at the high end of their actuarial range, feedback from regulators that allows them to reconsider their pricing might be a welcome opportunity," he said.