HHS EXCHANGE REGULATION OVERVIEW

Affordable Insurance Exchanges: Choices, Competition and Clout for States. On July 11, 2011, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published two Notices of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). The first proposed rule, the Exchange NPRM, outlines a framework that will enable States to build Affordable Insurance Exchanges, new State-based competitive marketplaces created under the Affordable Care Act. The second NPRM addresses standards related to reinsurance, risk corridors, and risk adjustment to assure stability in these newly established markets. These proposed rules are a major step forward in implementing the Exchanges.