Table of Contents
- Executive Director Assumes Helm of DC HBX
- HBX Executive Board Meetings
- IT Vendor Selected
- DC HBX Gains Conditional CMS Approval
- Communications Summit Planned for January 29
- Medicaid Training Scheduled for Community Partners
- Stakeholder Meeting Calendar
- Public Meeting Calendar
www.healthreform.dc.gov
www.dchbx.com
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 Since joining the DC Health Benefit Exchange (HBX) as executive director on January 2, Mila Kofman has moved quickly to begin managing the operations and addressing strategic priorities for the District’s Exchange.
Ms. Kofman is a recognized expert on private health insurance markets, having served as superintendent of insurance of Maine from 2008 to 2011, where she regulated a multi-billion dollar insurance industry. In addition to serving on the Governor’s Steering committee on health reform implementation, Kofman has served in other key leadership positions, including secretary-treasurer of the Northeastern Zone of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), chair of the Health Insurance Regulatory Framework Task Force (2011) and co-chair of the Consumer Information working group of NAIC.
Previously Kofman also served at the U.S. Department of Labor from1997 to 2001, where she implemented health care reform. As a special assistant to the senior health care advisor to the President at the Domestic Policy Council for the White House, Kofman assisted with legislative and regulatory health care reform initiatives, including the Patient’s Bill of Rights, long-term care insurance, nursing home reform, and Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) reform.
Kofman also has worked in the academic arena as an associate research professor and project director at the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute from 2001 to 2008. She rejoined Georgetown in 2011, where she advised states on the Affordable Care Act, reform options, and implementation and establishment of insurance exchanges.
“I am honored to be selected by the Board of Directors and excited about the opportunity to work with government leaders, the regulated community, health care leaders and most of all, the businesses and residents of the District of Columbia to improve the quality of health care through quality affordable health care coverage,” said Mila Kofman upon her unanimous appointment by the DC HBX Authority Executive Board.
Ms. Kofman holds a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and a B.A. in government and politics from the University of Maryland (summa cum laude).
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In 2013 the DC HBX Executive Board meetings will move to a regular monthly schedule on the second Thursday of each month. However, the next meeting will be a week early on February 7 at 5:30 PM at One Judiciary Square, 441 4th Street NW, South Lobby in the Board of Education Chambers.
The January 10 meeting included updates presented by the executive director and chief operating officer, as well as a demonstration by Infosys, the District's new systems integration vendor. The December 15 meeting included operational updates and the Executive Board approved the recommendations of the Business Operations Working Committee to establish additional advisory committees and to appoint Mila Kofman as executive director. Materials from the Executive Board public meetings can be found here.
Visit the HBX Authority website, www.dchbx.com, for more information about Exchange activities. The website will also be a central place to learn about future HBX job opportunities, events, contracts and grants. You can also use the website to submit a request for a speaker for your organization or event.
The District of Columbia Health Benefit Exchange announced the selection of Infosys Public Services Inc. to develop and implement the Exchange’s extensive operating technology and Internet website. This system will be used to determine eligibility and to enroll individuals, families, and small businesses that purchase health care coverage through the Exchange’s online marketplace.
The DC HBX has been conditionally approved by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as a State-based Exchange for plan year 2014. The approval, conveyed in a December 14, 2012 letter, was based on the District’s Exchange Blueprint application. The Blueprint addressed how the District will meet or intends to meet the specific progress benchmarks for a State-based Exchange and the anticipated dates for meeting the benchmarks.
The approval reflects the District’s demonstrated ability to perform all required Exchange activities, to comply with future guidance and regulations, and to ensure the HBX‘s sustainability model. The conditional approval will continue as long as the District continues to meet expected progress milestones and continues to perform required Exchange activities.
As of January 3, the District is one of 18 states that have received conditional approval to operate a State-based Exchange. Two other states have been conditionally approved to operate State Partnership Exchanges.
“Creating Effective Outreach Strategies for Empowering Consumers to Choose New Health Insurance Plans” is the theme of the upcoming DC Health Benefit Exchange and Health Care Reform Communications Summit that will be held on Tuesday, January 29, 2013 from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. The location and other information about the Summit will be available on the HBX website and distributed via email as a Health Benefit Exchange update.
The general purpose of the Summit is to ensure that DC government staffs, community partners and stakeholders involved in the communications of health care reform information have consistent and effective messages about health care reform and the enrollment of individuals, families and small businesses in the District’s Health Benefit Exchange.
Designed in two parts, the Summit sessions are planned to address health reform and exchange message points from a consumer perspective and to allow for small group discussions on targeting key stakeholders and audiences as well as delineating elements for strong consumer-focused messaging.
The morning is designed specifically for government agencies involved in health care reform initiatives. Participants will discuss key messaging and outreach strategies for enrolling residents in quality health plans, Medicaid and other public programs.
The afternoon session is designed for community stakeholders and partners who will work with the District to explore how best to communicate health reform and enrollment messages to DC's diverse audiences. Input from stakeholders is a vital component towards the success of the District's Health Benefit Exchange. Included among the presenters will be DC HBX Authority Chair Dr. Mohammad Akhter and DC HBX Executive Director Mila Kofman.
The District government will hold training on Medicaid in February for community partners through the Medicaid Outreach Project. The trainings will provide an overview of Medicaid changes under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The streamlined eligibility system, income-counting methods and household composition are the training topics for the February sessions.
The training will be held at 899 North Capitol Street NE in Room 6100. It is tentatively scheduled from 1 to 3 PM on February 11 and again from 1 to 3 PM on February 25.
The Medicaid Outreach Project is an initiative to ensure that Medicaid beneficiaries and the organizations that work with them are informed about upcoming changes to the Medicaid program. The project will use a train-the-trainer model, where organizations commit to learning about Medicaid changes and then holding training sessions for their constituents. To participate in the Medicaid Outreach Project and attend these sessions, please email Miriam Straus or Lucy Wilson-Kear.
Tuesday, January 22, 7 PM
DC Federation of Citizens Associations
All Souls Memorial Episcopal Church
2300 Cathedral Avenue NW
Thursday, January 31, 9:00 to 10:30 AM
Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington
Aspen Institute
1 DuPont Circle NW, Suite 700
For more information, contact Amy Kurz
akurz@nonprofitroundtable.org
Tuesday, January 29, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM
“Creating Effective Outreach Strategies for Empowering Consumers to Choose New Health Insurance Plans” Communications Summit
Location to be announced.
Thursday, February 7, 5:30 PM
Health Benefit Exchange (HBX) Authority Executive Board Public Meeting
One Judiciary Square, 441 4th Street NW, South Lobby, Board of Education Chambers
INTERESTED IN JOINING THE DC HBX TEAM?
The HBX Authority will be recruiting for senior level positions to help implement the DC Health Benefit Exchange. Check the HBX website for future information about available positions and the process for applying for them.
DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT HEALTH REFORM OR THE HEALTH BENEFIT EXCHANGE?
Visit the District health reform website and the Health Benefit Exchange (HBX) website. If you can’t find your answer at either place, send your question to healthreform@dc.gov. We will try to address it in a future newsletter.
Produced by The Crider Group
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