Exploring the Role of Chambers in the Health Insurance Exchange
Client
Semester
Healthcare reform has been a topic of significant debate in both the private and public spheres. Last year, President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law in an attempt to bring healthcare costs under control and improve healthcare delivery systems in the United States. The ACA mandates the creation of State-Based Health Insurance Exchanges that will enable consumers to purchase qualified health insurance products online and facilitate the expansion of insurance coverage to more people. In addition, the ACA requires Exchanges to establish a grant program to award funding to Navigators that will help individuals and small businesses enroll in the Exchange.
The ACA specifically identifies Chambers of Commerce as potential Navigators in the new Exchanges, and the Capstone Team at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) was asked to work with the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce on the role of New York State (NYS) Chambers in the new Exchanges.
The SIPA Capstone Team collected up-to-date information on the segments that comprise the health insurance market in New York, conducted an in-depth analysis of the portions of the ACA that relate to small businesses, studied existing Exchanges and reviewed legislation being proposed around the county to establish Exchanges. Furthermore, the Capstone Team conducted interviews with a diverse array of key stakeholders including Chamber leaders, policy analysts, insurance executives and brokers. These interviews provided the SIPA Capstone Team with valuable commentary that helped inform the team’s recommendations to the Chambers.