Indicted Colorado exchange director had been fully vetted, officials say

Feb 14 2014

Colorado's Connect for Health director was placed on paid administrative leave Tuesday after being indicted for stealing from her last employer. Meanwhile, the new head of Massachusetts' exchange pledges to fix it quickly, and Kansas navigators say they're overcoming healthcare.gov's rocky start.

The Denver Post: Colorado Health Exchange Officials Say Indicted Director Was Vetted
State health care exchange officials said they had thoroughly vetted Christa Ann McClure, the Connect for Health Colorado director they placed on paid administrative leave Tuesday after learning she had been indicted for stealing from her last employer. McClure, 51, pleaded not guilty Feb. 6 in federal District Court in Montana to eight counts of theft and fraud from a nonprofit housing agency in Billings (Draper and Bartels, 2/12).

Kansas Health Institute: Kansas Navigators Overcome Obstacles Of ACA Marketplace's Rocky Start
There is an emotional element to Rochelle Bryant's work that might surprise some people. "We use a lot of tissues," she said. "It's overwhelming for them [many of her clients] to find out they can finally see a doctor, that they can be treated." Bryant is one of about 300 or more people across the state working as "navigators" to help people enroll in health plans through the Affordable Care Act's insurance marketplace (Shields, 2/10).

The Boston Globe: State Health Care Site Official Blasted
Facing a swell of anger from legislators, Governor Deval Patrick's new point person in charge of fixing the state's broken health insurance website pledged a Herculean effort, but did not offer an exact timeline or a specific plan for when and how the website will be repaired so people can enroll in the coverage of their choice. During a State House hearing that lasted more than three hours Wednesday, Sarah Iselin, an insurance executive who Patrick said last week would take the lead in fixing the troubled Massachusetts Health Connector site, said she understands the gravity of the problem, is working to fully grasp its parameters, and will lead an all-out push to fix it (Miller, 2/12).