The Affordable Care Act creates a process for states and the Department of Health and Human Services to review “unreasonable” premium increases and provide information to consumers about the process. The rules governing this rate review process went into effect September 1, 2011.

This briefing by the Kaiser Family Foundation, held on September 22, 2011, addressed how these new rules might work and what the implications may be for the growth in health insurance premiums and the underlying cost of health care.

Panelists included:

Gary Cohen, Acting Director of Oversight at the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services;
Susan Ezalarab, Director, Bureau of Market Regulation, Wisconsin Office of Commissioner of Insurance;
Kim Holland, Executive Director of State Affairs at the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and former Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner;
Mila Kofman, Georgetown University Health Policy Institute Professor and former Maine Insurance Superintendent;
Teresa Miller, Administrator of the Insurance Division in Oregon; and
Donna C. Novak, Actuary and President of NovaRest Consulting.

The event was moderated by Larry Levitt and Gary Claxton, Co-Executive Directors of the Kaiser Initiative on Health Reform and Private Insurance. Larry Levitt is also the Senior Vice President for Special Initiatives and Senior Advisor to the President at the Foundation. Gary Claxton is a Vice President and the Director of Health Care Marketplace Project at the Foundation.

Full Video

 Transcript (.pdf)

 Agenda (.pdf)

 Speaker Biographies (.pdf)