Originally published by The Denver Post
The legislative oversight committee for the state health insurance exchange heard Wednesday from brokers, agents and consumers about the good, the bad and the ugly aspects of the two-year-old marketplace.
Even as the oversight committee heard testimony from some of those directly affected by operational problems and successes at the exchange, the Senate passed a bill allowing the committee to change its name and to meet 10 times after the legislative session ends.
The new name will be the Colorado Health Insurance Exchange Oversight Committee – only slightly less of a mouthful than the current Legislative Health Benefit Exchange Implementation Review Committee.
We’re seeking the unvarnished truth, said the committee, chair Sen. Ellen Roberts, R-Durango. Roberts has promised greater scrutiny of the exchange by the committee.
Ben Price, director of the Colorado Association of Health Plans, opened by saying the exchange was very important to carriers, who wanted a marketplace where consumers could really compare what was available to them.
“We’re two years in, and it s been a success, but it hasn’t always been a pretty success,” Price said. “There are still many, many technical challenges. From a carrier’s perspective, we’re at a critical juncture.”
