NPR: Raimondo expected to replace HealthSource RI’s Ferguson

HEALTHSOURCE RI Executive Director Christine C. Ferguson (right) is seen at PBN's Health Benefits Exchange Summit in February. Rhode Island Public Radio is reporting that Gov.-elect Gina M. Raimondo plans to replace her, and that the top candidate is the president of Arrowhead Health Analytics in Fall River. / PBN FILE PHOTO/MIKE SKORSKI
HEALTHSOURCE RI Executive Director Christine C. Ferguson (right) is seen at PBN's Health Benefits Exchange Summit in February. Rhode Island Public Radio is reporting that Gov.-elect Gina M. Raimondo plans to replace her, and that the top candidate is the president of Arrowhead Health Analytics in Fall River. / PBN FILE PHOTO/MIKE SKORSKI

(Updated, 2:20 p.m.)
PROVIDENCE – Gov.-elect Gina M. Raimondo is expected to replace Christine C. Ferguson as the head of HealthSource RI, the state’s health benefits exchange, Rhode Island Public Radio is reporting.
The radio station reported that the leading candidate to replace Ferguson is Anya Rader Wallack, president of Arrowhead Health Analytics in Fall River and a former policy director and deputy chief of staff for former Vermont governor Howard Dean.
Rader Wallack and Ferguson both declined comment when contacted by RIPR.
HealthSourceRI was created as part of the Affordable Care Act championed by President Barack Obama.
While Ferguson could not be reached about the public radio report, in an interview Tuesday she discussed the Dec. 31 deadline extension for new and renewing customers to select individual plans on the exchange.
The deadline was initially Dec. 23.
She said the extension was granted to give consumers more time to compare plans, given that there are three carriers serving the individual market this year – UnitedHealthcare of New England, Blue Cross Blue Shield of RI and Neighborhood Health, as well as new plan offerings. UnitedHealthcare is new to the exchange with this kind of product.
HealthSource RI does not automatically re-enroll individuals, Ferguson said.
Ferguson said that 68 percent of Year One customers have renewed plans for 2015, representing approximately 18,000 customers. She said approximately 60 percent have changed their plan, and of that 60 percent, 40 percent changed their carrier.
“The fact there has been so much movement in plan choice and plan design is a very strong message to the health care community that consumers are watching closely what their options are and they’re making choices and it is going to affect competition between plans,” Ferguson said.

From Nov. 7 to Dec. 20, a total of 3,841 new customers signed up for plans.
Open enrollment for individuals ends Feb. 15.
As of Dec. 20, 529 small employer applications were completed, and 1,901 small employer accounts were created, with approximately 3,000 lives covered. Small employers may enroll at their renewal date, regardless of where that date falls in the calendar year.
On the individual side, Ferguson said she hopes that the renewal rate is close to 80 percent by December’s end.
In Year One, 26,000 people enrolled in the individual market, she said. The target was 25,000 for 2014, she said.
The target for the end of 2015 is 30,000 customers in the individual market, Ferguson said.
Questions about the future of the health exchange remain, as federal dollars currently funding it only are available through the end of 2015.
This week, House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello questioned HealthSource RI’s future, saying its cost has yet to be justified, according to media reports.
In response, Ferguson said, “We are looking forward to both a robust discussion with the House and Senate. I think we will be able to change their minds once they see what’s been accomplished. I certainly understand why people are concerned about the cost and we will have some good conversations about that going forward.”
A report submitted to the R.I. House Finance Committee in March put a yearly post-build operating budget at $23.9 million, and a report from the Rhode Island Policy Public Expenditure Council said it would be up to Rhode Island’s new governor to prioritize a plan for the exchange’s future by submitting an all-inclusive plan to the General Assembly as part of the fiscal year 2016 budget proposal.

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