5Q: Zachary Sherman

STRAIGHT FROM THE SOURCE: Zachary Sherman, HealthSource RI executive director, center, speaks with James Thorsen, deputy director of finance, and Lindsay Lang, senior legal counsel. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO
STRAIGHT FROM THE SOURCE: Zachary Sherman, HealthSource RI executive director, center, speaks with James Thorsen, deputy director of finance, and Lindsay Lang, senior legal counsel. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

1 HealthSource RI just completed its third enrollment period. What is the size of the enrollment and what segment of the market had the greatest growth this year?

We closed out open enrollment with 34,888 members, over 8,000 of which are new customers. We experienced the highest rates of growth in the 18-25 and the 26-34 age groups, growing 26 percent and 21 percent respectively over the previous open enrollment period. … We’re [still] aiming to drive down the uninsured rate, which has dropped from 11 percent in 2012 to 5 percent in 2015, even further.

2 The state contribution has been dramatically reduced over the past few years, to a proposed $12.4 million for fiscal 2017. How is that reduction being handled?

We are in the last stages of the deployment and stabilization phase and are beginning to transition to ongoing maintenance and management when our budget will be $12.4 million, an almost 80 percent decrease over two years. The majority of the decrease in spending is due to the phaseout of the large technology investments, but we will also be spending less on our contact center and marketing.

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3 HealthSource RI recently switched companies to handle public inquiries. Why?

We decided to re-procure the contact-center contract because we wanted to improve the quality of our customer service for a better price. This process was informed by our experience over the last two and a half years and our changing budget.

4 How has small business responded to the health care offerings through the exchange?

Small businesses have responded positively to our Full Employee Choice program that gives employers maximum flexibility in customizing health-plan offerings. It is the exclusive source for multicarrier options, and a defined-contribution feature lets employers set contribution tiers for employee tenure or classification. HealthSource RI for Employers saw enrollment grow 48 percent from the end of 2014 to the end of 2015.

5 What opportunities do you see in the upcoming year?

We see great opportunities for our small-business market. HealthSource RI for Employers has a new team handling sales and service, from NFP Health, with great experience running a longstanding and successful private exchange in Massachusetts. •

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