Minn. House passes bill to create a health exchange

Mar 6 2013

An amendment restricting abortion coverage was also approved. In Connecticut, the state awarded a contract to handle its exchange to a company that has come under fire in the state before.

MPR News: Health Exchange Passes Minn. House; Amendment Restricts Abortion Coverage
The DFL-controlled Minnesota House has passed a key part of the Obama administration's health care law -- a state-based health insurance exchange. The bill's chief author called the measure the most significant health reform in 50 years. But abortion restrictions adopted last night could run into trouble with Gov. Mark Dayton(Stawicki, 3/4).

CT Mirror: Company With Checkered Record To Handle State's Health Insurance Exchange
The state's health care exchange has awarded a $15 million contract to a Virginia company with a mixed track record in Connecticut. Through a competitive process, the exchange, called Access Health CT, selected Maximus Inc. of Reston, Va., to run its call center operation. Maximus will handle phone calls and guide consumers through buying and enrolling in a health insurance plan through the Affordable Care Act. Exchange leaders said they hired the company because it did a fantastic job handling similar contracts in other states, including running a call center for Medicaid in New York. Maximus came under fire in Connecticut several years ago for the way it handled work to upgrade a police database and handle child care payments for the state Department of Social Services (Merritt, 3/4).