North Carolina State Health Insurance Exchanges Brya Bradley Methodist Universi ty

1. North Carolina State Health Insurance Exchanges Brya Bradley Methodist University Introduction Problem/Issue Stakeholder's Benefits • The main issue in North Carolina is that only two insurance companies are established under the Affordable Care Act. These companies are Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Coventry Health Care of the Carolinas. With that said, North Carolinians will not have a variety of health insurances to choose from. This limited number will effect the state’s health insurance exchanges. On March 23, 2010, President Barack Obama signed and passed the Affordable Care Act. The purpose of the Affordable Care Act is to expand health care access to uninsured Americans. With that said, millions of Americans by 2014 will have health insurance. With this act, Americans will be able to choose their own coverage through the state health insurance exchanges. This poster will discuss the benefits to having state health insurance exchanges and how they will affect people in North Carolina. • Small businesses and employees can purchase health insurance. • People cannot be turned away for pre-existing conditions. • Citizens will be able to choose their own insurance covered under their state. • The exchanges will help establish rules for the insurance companies. • Insurance companies must disclose relevant information in plain language, and maintain an Internet website and toll free assistance. • Health coverage for the uninsured (Richardson, & Yilmazer, 2013) Stakeholder's Risk • Budgeting problems • Insurance monopolies in N.C. • Division amongst the government (Richardson, & Yilmazer, 2013) Overview Evidence So many are probably wondering, what are state health insurance exchanges? State health insurance exchanges are marketplaces that establish insurance companies in each state. With the state health insurance exchanges American citizens will be able to choose and purchase health insurance from companies according to their state regulatory system. The exchange system will take place by 2014, and will create a marketplace for small businesses and individuals to purchase health insurance. • From 2007 to 2009, the unemployment rate increased from 4.7 to 9.7% in the state of North Carolina. This increase caused an estimate of 1.75-1.8 million uninsured North Carolinians. The increase of uninsured in North Carolina rated 4th in the country trailing California, Texas, and Florida (North Carolina’s Institute of Medicine, 2009). • In 2013, Cumberland County estimated 42,151 individuals are uninsured, which makes up 22% of Cumberland County population (Uninsured Adults, 2013). • In June 2011, N.C. passed a law stating an intention to develop a state run health insurance exchange. N.C. House organized this exchange, but the Senate refused to agree. Former Governor Bev Perdue announced in Nov. 2012, that the state of N.C. will partner with federal government to establish the state health insurance exchange. However, Governor Pat McCory announced Feb. 2013, that N.C. will default state health insurance exchanges, which caused limited market of insurance companies. Due to this limitation, N.C. has a limited amount of exchanges (North Carolina Health Insurance Exchange, 2013). Solution The only way to solve this issue is to pass the state insurance exchanges. North Carolina has 1.75 million people who are uninsured. North Carolina’s population is 9 million people. The government needs to look at the N.C. population and evaluate the heath care insurance exchanges. It is sad that N.C. rates 4th in the country for uninsured people. (North Carolina’s Institute of Medicine, 2009). Implementation and Evaluations • Notify State Legislature about the issue. • Get with organizations to help support passing the state insurance exchanges. • Inform the N.C people about the exchanges. • Start committees, marches and petitions to get the government to listen about the state health insurance exchanges. • Expected Evaluations include: The state insurance exchange passed by the N.C government and a decrease of uninsured people in North Carolina. Stakeholders • Insurance Companies • Insurers • The uninsured • Employers/ Employees

2. References Richardson, L.E. & Yilmazer, T. (2013). Understanding the impact of health reform on states: Expansion of coverage through Medicaid and exchanges. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 47(2), 191-218. Norris, L. (2013,October 12 ). NC ‘intended’ to run its own marketplace, but ultimately left it to the feds. Retrieved from http://www.healthinsurance.org/north_carolina-state-health-insurance-exchange/ North Carolina’s Institute of Medicine. (March , 2009). North Carolina’s increase in the uninsured: 2007-2009 prepared by the North Carolina Institute of Medicine & the Cecil G. Sheps center for health services research, university of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Retrieved from http://www.nciom.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/DS_2009-01_UninUnemp.pdf Country Health Ranking & Roadmaps. (2013). Uninsured adults in North Carolina. Retrieved from http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/app#/north-carolina/2013/measure/additional/3/data/sort-0