NEW: Chambers Push for Health Force Inclusion

Email to a friend Permalink

Thursday, March 31, 2011

GoLocalProv Business Team

The Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce Coalition is pressing members of the Senate Committee on Health & Human Services to open up the field of candidates for a potential Health Insurance Exchange Board that would be created by legislation during this session of the General Assembly. A Senate bill sponsored by Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed is currently in the committee, chaired by Sen. Rhoda Perry.

David R. Carlin III, head of the Chamber Coalition and vice president of government affairs for the Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce, wrote to Sen. Perry on behalf of his organization, “It is the Chamber Coalition’s belief…that the legislation should permit a [Health Insurance Exchange] board that is made up of members of the business community and public at large who have current expertise in health care and health insurance matters and who will be able to help guide the exchange to become an effective marketplace for small businesses and their employees as well as individual (direct buy) purchasers of health insurance. Certainly within the membership of the Chamber of Commerce Coalition, there are many such individuals who would be very happy to assist.”

Of concern to the Coalition is that the bill, as written, “is fairly specific about the membership, and prohibits some members of the Chambers of Commerce who are the most experienced and knowledgeable about these issues,” Carlin told GoLocalProv.

Specifically, Carlin mentioned health insurance brokers, who are often the very people his other Chamber members go to for advice on employee and business health insurance issues.

If you valued this article, please LIKE GoLocalProv.com on Facebook by clicking HERE.