Sacramento Business Journal by Kathy Robertson –
May 20, 2013:
Covered California, the new state health benefit exchange, will release a tentative list of health plans and rates for the program at a board meeting in Sacramento Thursday.
The meeting will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the auditorium at the Office of the Secretary of State, 1500 11th Street in Sacramento. The open session is expected to begin about 12:30.
Also on the agenda is board approval of performance standards for health plans that qualify for the new insurance marketplace for individuals and small employers and proposed rules for handling supplemental benefits such as vision and dental services.
In February, the exchange announced it would not be able to offer supplemental benefits with the first open enrollment that starts Oct. 1, but was looking for ways to later link consumers who want these options.
The board also will take action Thursday on broker and other agent relationships with the program and adopt regulations on background checks and the “assisters” program to help enrollment into the new marketplace.
The meeting is open to the public and can be viewed via webcast at CalSpan.