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Near-Term Health Reform Changes for States: The Web Portal

In March of 2010 the President signed into law substantial health reform measures intended to reduce the number of uninsured citizens, increase access to services and provide higher quality delivery of care. While the majority of these reforms and policies will not be implemented until 2014, there are some forthcoming reforms that the states should take into account. One of them being, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) request for guidance on building a web portal.

HHS released a copy of its interim final rule (IFR) on May 5, 2010 for the insurance web portal requirements. The IFR, with the comment period ending June 4, 2010, addresses the near-term health reform measures aimed at reducing barriers to health insurance and making marketplace information more readily available.

But you may be asking yourself, how is all of the health care marketplace data going to be disseminated to the public if not all of the state health insurance exchanges are going to be ready prior to 2014? In the interim, the Administration has been working feverishly to meet the deadlines set forth by the Patient Protections and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and has been tasked with establishing an internet portal to help individuals and small businesses identify insurance options in their state. Section 1103 of the PPACA provides that "Not later than July 1, 2010, the Secretary, in consultation with the States, shall establish a mechanism, including an internet website, through which a resident of any State may identify affordable health insurance coverage options in that State." Because of the short time frame between passage of the PPACA and the requirement that the portal be available on July 1, 2010, the portal will launch in phases.

The first phase of the portal will provide succinct information on the available coverage options, by state and zip code, in the private market and public programs. The portal will help citizens determine if they are eligible for programs such as state high risk pools, Medicare, Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The second phase, in October 2010, will present more detailed pricing and benefit information. Because the pricing and benefit information does not yet exist in an interoperable format, the IFR provides insurers and states with guidance and standards on the data to be collected.

As the web portal becomes populated with information for the October 1, 2010 release, interactive functions will be required to account for geographic information, gender and family composition for citizens exploring health insurance options. While the beginning phases of the web portal will be operated by HHS, there will be an open competition between July 1, 2010 and October 1, 2010 to contract a private vendor for implementation and maintenance of the PPACA web portal.

In time, the web portal will essentially become the main directory of the exchange, and many functions of the portal will transfer to the states in 2014. The new health care reform law is multifaceted and is going to require collaboration amongst the states, which predominately regulate and enforce the insurance industry, and the federal government to set standards and create architecture for interoperable data exchange.

While differences of opinion are likely to emerge, the states are encouraged to consider enterprise-wide solutions for the exchange of information and assess the budgetary and technological challenges that may exist for implementation. Remember, if a state declines to take the reins and create an exchange by 2014, Uncle Sam will step in to do its bidding. The State CIOs need to continue to track the new requirements set forth by the health care reform law and be prepared to provide solutions to the changing landscape of health information technology. For more information or for details on how to submit comments, click here.

Record Turnout for the 2010 Midyear Conference

Representatives from 38 states and territories and 115 partner organizations gathered April 28 - 30 for the Midyear Conference in Baltimore, Maryland. The conference agenda included Key Federal Leaders: Vivek Kundra, Federal Chief Information Officer, US Office of Management and Budget; Howard Schmidt, White House Cyber Security Coordinator; and Gene Dodaro, Acting Comptroller General of the United States and head of the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Other conference highlights included a featured panel session - Perspectives from Great Leaders: Visionaries, Role Models and Innovators, and Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley's reception of the 2010 National Technology Champion Award.

The presentations, as well as the interactive audience polling results from the sessions, are available at the following links. Visit NASCIO's Facebook page to view additional photos from the conference.

• Audience Polling Results (ARS)
• Presentations
• Multimedia

Visit the Midyear Sponsor Virtual Resource Center between now and June 1, 2010 to view thought leadership materials from top global IT firms. The resources include informative whitepapers, in-depth research briefs, survey results and other educational materials.

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