Feds Ramp Up Insurance Exchange Grants

The Department of Health and Human Services has awarded seven grants totaling $241 million to assist "early innovator" states in building the information technology infrastructure necessary to operate state-level health information exchanges mandated under the health reform law. The exchanges, which must be operational by 2014, are designed to help individuals and small employers compare, select and purchase health insurance. Exchanges implemented in the early innovator states will give others a variety of models to choose…


The Department of Health and Human Services has awarded seven grants totaling $241 million to assist "early innovator" states in building the information technology infrastructure necessary to operate state-level health information exchanges mandated under the health reform law.

The exchanges, which must be operational by 2014, are designed to help individuals and small employers compare, select and purchase health insurance. Exchanges implemented in the early innovator states will give others a variety of models to choose from, HHS hopes.

Six state health or insurance departments received early innovator funds, and the University of Massachusetts Medical School will lead a consortium of New England states. The state awards go to Kansas ($31.5 million), Maryland ($6.2 million), New York ($27.4 million), Oklahoma ($54.6 million), Oregon ($48.1 million) and Wisconsin ($37.8 million).

The New England consortium's award of $35.6 million will cover Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont. More information is available here.

--Joseph Goedert

 

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