The Massachusetts health care insurance reform law, enacted in 2006, established an independent public authority, the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority, also known as the Health Connector, which functions as the nation's first state Health Insurance Exchange. The Health Connector offer two primary programs: Commonwealth Choice, offering approved commercial health insurance options, and Commonwealth Care with low or no-cost health insurance for people who qualify.

The Utah Health Exchange is the second oldest state Health Insurance Exchange program. The Exchange allows employers the opportunity to simplify benefits management by offering employees a “defined contribution,” or specified amount of pretax dollars set aside for the purchase of an employee-selected health plan from a menu of various plans and prices. The program provides an internet portal offering consumers applicable health care and health benefit information, facilitates comparison and selection of participating policies, and transacts enrollment through standardized electronic applications. The Exchange launched pilot programs in 2009, with general availability in 2011.

The California Health Benefit Exchange was enacted through state legislation adopted in October 2010. The five member board to the Exchange has been named, and a variety of developmental activities for the Exchange are underway. The federal government awarded California $1 million to fund preliminary planning efforts related to the development of an exchange. Additional federal implementation grants are expected be announced in the spring of 2011. The California Health Benefit Exchange is being designed for individuals and small businesses to compare plans and buy health insurance on the private market starting in 2014.

Please join our panel of expert speakers discussing these respective state models  and share in their observations, insights, perspectives and experiences, which have far-reaching implications for other states as they undertake developing Health Insurance Exchanges.

1. Share in developmental and operational lessons learned from these three alternative models.
2. Explore implications from each model's experience and future direction, for stakeholders including consumers, employers, agents, health plans, providers, and government.
3. Ascertain the similarities and differences between the Massachusetts Health Connector structure and the Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Exchange provisions, and various lessons learned from the Health Connector experience to date.
4. Understand how the Utah Health Exchange is structured, what early experience is available, what program modifications have been made to date, and what the future direction for the Exchange holds for stakeholders.
5. Consider the role of the California Health Benefit Exchange in the California health care marketplace; federal and
   state requirements for governance and operation of the California Exchange; how stakeholders are expected to interface with the Exchange; and strategic opportunities and challenges that the Exchange presents to California.
6. Engage in interactive learning through online question submission, attendee feedback and opportunity for follow up questions, and networking with attendees, faculty and other professionals through dedicated LinkedIn group.
    

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