Wellmark could change its mind on Obamacare exchange in Iowa

Published June 5, 2017 9:24pm ET



Health insurer Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield is leaving the door open to selling plans on the individual market in Iowa in 2018, after publicly announcing in April that it did not plan to participate in the exchange.

In an editorial in the Des Moines Register titled “How we can re-enter Iowa’s individual market in 2018,” John Forsyth, the company’s chairman and CEO, said that after making its decision to exit the exchange the company immediately began working with federal and state officials. Forsyth said a more diverse pool of people was needed to sign up for plans, and called for incentivizing people to sign up for insurance during limited periods and to stay signed up for coverage. He also recommended additional funding, such as reinsurance to offset costs of particularly expensive customers, as well as more flexibility with the way healthcare plans are designed. “The ACA requires health insurers to provide coverage that does not meet the needs of many Iowans,” Forsyth wrote, referring to Obamacare. “Health insurance is not one size fits all. We need the ability to design plans that are innovative, easy to understand and offer even more transparency.”

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