A series of town hall meeting around the state will be held to glean public opinion on healthcare exchanges - a set of state regulated, standardized healthcare plans from which individuals may purchase insurance that’s eligible for federal subsidies.
Elizabeth Hoy serves as the Governor’s Health Policy Advisor. She says the meetings are being held because the Affordable Care Act, or ACA, requires states to create health exchanges, where consumers can shop for competitive rates for health insurance.
Hoy says many small businesses are on board with the changes.
“They can define their contribution to health insurance,” says Hoy. “For example, I’m going to contribute $500 a month for you to purchase health insurance, and their employees can then, purchasing through the exchange, have a choice of different plans and be able to choose the one that best meets their needs.”
However, she also says that the new ACA requirement could create more administrative costs, through additional regulations and mandated benefits, which could also limit health care options.
Town Hall meetings will be held January 10th in Cody. Additional meetings will take place in Riverton, Gillette, Cheyenne, Jackson, Casper and Rocks Springs although dates and times for those meetings have not been set.
