Tagged: affordable care act

State officials have chosen the new benchmark program for the Kentucky Health Insurance Exchange.

Officials have recommended the state’s so-called small group plan, provided by Anthem, as the benchmark. All other plans offered in the exchange must provide similar or better care.

The state says the plan is affordable and broad enough to adequately provide for Kentuckians.

But consumer advocates haven't yet decided to endorse the state's decision.

The advisory board tasked with overseeing Kentucky's health insurance exchange is set to have its first meeting Thursday.

The 19-member board is made up of public officials, insurance executives, doctors and consumer groups. The agenda is short, focusing mainly on organizational tasks like forming subcommittees. The board is also getting an overview of the exchange from Executive Director Carrie Banahan.

A second legislative hearing on Kentucky’s federally-mandated health insurance exchange led to a dramatic walkout by Democrats today.

For the second consecutive time, the interim joint Health and Welfare committee saw their meeting devolve into arguments over the exchange.

And this time, a motion by Republicans to register a vote of disapproval against the exchange led every Democrat to get up and leave in the middle of the meeting.

Governor Steve Beshear has named the members of the state health insurance exchange board.

The now-19 member board includes top level officials from Kentucky's major insurers, including Anthem, Humana and Bluegrass Family Health.

It also includes represents from the state’s major hospitals, including Central Baptist in Lexington and KentuckyOne Health, which operates statewide.

Patient advocate groups, including Kentucky Voices for Health, AARP and Kentucky Youth Advocates, also have seats on the board.

The Hobby Lobby retail chain has gone to court to fight one of the provisions of the federal government's new health care law.

The Affordable Care Act requires employer’s to cover certain preventive services. This includes access to emergency contraception, like the morning-after pill, which prevents embryos from implanting in the uterine wall. Hobby Lobby’s founders say they currently provide birth control for their employees, but they object to being forced to provide insurance for what they call “abortion inducing drugs.”