New player on health insurance scene

Source: The Pueblo Chieftain, Colo.迷你倉Sept. 25--A small group of Puebloans on Tuesday were introduced to Colorado HealthOp, the newest player in Connect for Health Colorado, the insurance marketplace (formerly called an "insurance exchange") that will open for business Tuesday as part of federal health reform.Connect for Health Colorado's selection of carriers and plans are for individuals interested in buying their own insurance, and for small businesses with 25 or fewer full-time equivalent employees who are priced out of the larger marketplace.Many individuals and business owners may qualify for federal premium subsidies if they buy insurance through one of the companies that have partneredwith Connect for Health Colorado rather than through the larger open marketplace.Tuesday's meeting was hosted by local members of the Pueblo County chapter of the Rocky Mountain Farmer's Union, a regional organization that was a key player in helping to launch the nonprofit Colorado HealthOp, a startup insurance cooperative that is one of 23 nationwide formed with federal health reform dollars.Denise Denton, the cooperative's rural outreach advisor, said Colorado HealthOp was launched with a $70 million federal loan that must be repaid in stages. 儲存倉he loan provided startup funding and operational funds intended to pay bills until member premiums are sufficient to do that, Denton said.The primary difference between Colorado HealthOp and the 14 other providers approved as members of the new marketplace is that members of the cooperative will have a substantial say in how the company is run and how money is spent. Makeup of a 12-member board, now comprised of volunteers, will include a majority of paying members, Denton said. The board will be responsible for decisions such as how to use leftover funds each year, as well as any changes in premiums and coverage.And the founders of the cooperative are committed to making sure most of the money taken in premiums goes to health care costs rather than CEO salaries and marketing efforts, she said."Our executive director, I promise you, will not be buying a corporate jet. A bicycle, maybe, but not a fancy one," Denton said with a laugh.For more information about the cooperative or to compare plans that will go on sale Tuesday in the new marketplace, go to chieftain.com.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 The Pueblo Chieftain (Pueblo, Colo.) Visit The Pueblo Chieftain (Pueblo, Colo.) at .chieftain.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉最平