Health Exchanges

Health insurance exchanges are being proposed with the promise of simplifying the process of buying health insurance by bringing all the choices to a single source. The concept is to develop a government-managed or political appointee- managed entity to serve as a clearinghouse through which insurance companies would offer health insurance policies to employees and individuals. 

Exchanges should not be created to the exclusion of the successful distribution that currently exists. NAIFA believes that a marketplace delivers best value when consumers are presented with diverse options from many competitors.  Consumers also need reliable information from which to make informed decisions. 

NAIFA Health & Employee Benefits believes that the health insurance agent/advisor plays a valuable role in the delivery of health insurance coverage and benefits and that it would be a significant mistake to assume that a health insurance exchange or connector arrangement could perform the many services currently offered by the professional agent/advisor. The association also believes that health insurance consumers should be able to select from a broad variety of options with respect to health insurance coverages and benefits. However, NAIFA Health & Employee Benefits will not automatically oppose any given proposal simply because such proposal would establish an exchange arrangement, so long as the arrangement includes appropriate safeguards designed to protect the rights of consumers.