There has been so much focus on the public exchanges since their launch Oct. 1, but they can’t be looked at in isolation, said Avalere Health’s Elizabeth Carpenter during a session this week at the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans’ annual conference. Important insurance market reforms must be taken into consideration as well, she said.
“We can’t focus just on the exchanges, but also on the broader health care system and how things are evolving – the idea that on January 1, 2014, everyone can buy health insurance on a guaranteed issue basis, that there will be no pre-existing condition exclusions, that premiums will not vary based on your health status,” said Carpenter, a senior manager with Avalere Health. “That’s a huge change in the health industry and something that’s going on in conjunction with health insurance exchange implementation.”
