The Department of Health and Human Services has extended the comment period on its proposed rule on health insurance exchanges.
The proposed rule, mandated under the Affordable Care Act and issued July 11, was initially open for comment until Sept. 28. HHS has now extended the deadline until Oct. 31.
The health insurance exchanges proposed rule is a companion to a rule on standards to prevent risk selection and insurance market instability. Comments on both rules will be open until Oct. 31, HHS officials said.
[See also: Experts say state health exchanges are an opportunity for vendors.]
HHS announced the comment extension deadline this week, and will publish the extension notice in the Federal Register on Sept. 30.
HHS has said the rules would establish a framework to assist states in building Affordable Insurance Exchanges, state-based competitive marketplaces where individuals and small businesses would be able to purchase affordable private health insurance. The marketplaces would allow individuals and small businesses to have the same insurance choices as members of Congress.
“Exchanges offer Americans competition, choice, and clout,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “Insurance companies will compete for business on a transparent, level playing field, driving down costs.
Experts have said the state health insurance exchanges may prove to be good for vendors who provide consulting services on how to make customer service available on health plan websites.
In the individual health plan market today, very few health plans have advanced-enough service to offer a consumer the ability to purchase insurance directly online, according to Greg DeBor, a partner at Falls Church-Virginia-based CSC Healthcare Group.
This is the capacity that state health insurance exchanges will have to provide under ACA, and this will open up a whole new vendor marketplace for health IT vendors that can help health plans gain this capacity, he said.
[See also: HHS awards $185M more for insurance exchanges.]
Forty-nine states, the District of Columbia and four territories have accepted grants to help plan and operate exchanges, according to HHS.
Follow Diana Manos on Twitter @DManos_IT_News.
