Small Group Consultation:
What are Connectors and how do they work?

June 19, 2007
Hilton Austin
500 East 4 th Street
Austin, TX 78701

Sponsored by
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's State Coverage Initiatives Program

Conducted by AcademyHealth

Presentations are available in PPT and PDF formats.

Monday, June 18th, 2007

6:30 – 7:45 p.m.
Reception

Tuesday, June 19th, 2007

8:00 – 8:30 a.m.
Continental Breakfast

8:30 – 8:45 a.m.
Introduction and Conference Goals

Enrique Martinez-Vidal
Acting Director, State Coverage Initiatives
AcademyHealth

8:45– 10:00 a.m.
Connectors: What are they and what aren't they?

This session will introduce the idea of Connectors. What do you need to think about in designing Connectors and what problems are you trying to solve? Why did Massachusetts include a Connector in the health reform plan and what is the functionality envisioned for the Connector?

Amy Lischko
Former Commissioner, Health Care Finance and Policy
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
PowerPoint Slides | PDF Handout

10:00– 10:15 a.m.
Break

10:15 – 12:30 p.m.
Connectors, Exchanges, and Employee Choice Pools

Connectors can be designed in many different ways depending on the goal of state policy makers. This session will highlight three models: (a) The District of Columbia Equal Access Act; (b) The Massachusetts Connector; and (c) The Connecticut Business & Industry Association (CBIA) Health Connections pool.

Ed Haislmaier
Research Fellow
The Heritage Foundation

Robert Carey
Director of Planning and Development
Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority
PowerPoint Slides | PDF Handout

Ken Comeau
Vice President
Connecticut Business & Industry Association (CBIA)
PowerPoint Slides | PDF Handout

12:30 – 1:45 p.m.
Lunch

1:45 – 3:00 p.m.
Digging Deeper: Connectors, Federal Law, and Moving Forward

This session will be a discussion among states and the panelists on operational challenges, implementation, and how to adapt Connector structures to fit each state's specific insurance market conditions and policy goals.

Amy Lischko
Former Commissioner, Health Care Finance and Policy
Commonwealth of Massachusetts

3:00 p.m.
Adjourn