Despite key insurers like UnitedHealthcare and Humana pulling out of the Affordable Care Act exchanges in many states, some insurance executives and federal officials say the marketplace is working, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
At a conference held in Washington, D.C., Thursday, HHS referenced insurance executives who succeeded in selling individual health plans on the ACA's online exchange. CMS Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt referenced Clayton, Mo.-based insurer Centene, one of the largest providers of Medicaid in the country, as an early leader in the exchange, Post-Dispatch reported.
Mr. Slavitt also compared the ACA exchange to Medicare, a once debated program that is now "beloved."
Companies like Blue Cross Blue Shield affiliates were pointed to as succeeding in the market, and other insurer executives discussed how they are more engaged with customers than prior to the ACA, according to the Post-Dispatch.
However, the ACA exchange needs to adapt and listen to the industry, HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell said, adding a "one-way conversation" is not possible.
Talks come on the heels of the Obama administration's proposal Wednesday to clamp down on short-term insurance plans, cutting their duration from 12 months to no more than three. The proposal aims to push healthy, young consumers to the marketplace. The proposal also encourages consumers 65 and older to enroll in Medicare.