Newswise — Washington (February 7, 2013) — The latest entry at HealthReformGPS on federally facilitated health insurance Marketplaces (formerly known as Exchanges) features an interview with Gary Cohen, Director of the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO). The interview offers insight on CCIIO policies related to the work of federally facilitated insurance Marketplaces in states with and without Partnership agreements. Covering an array of topics, the interview delves into consumer outreach and qualified health plan certification standards and procedures as well as other issues of major importance as states make final decisions about Partnership Marketplaces.

HealthReformGPS is a joint project of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Hirsh Health Law and Policy Program of the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS). The interview on implementation of the health insurance Marketplaces was conducted on January 29, 2013 by Sara Rosenbaum, JD, the Harold and Jane Hirsh Professor of Health Law and Policy at SPHHS.

“We are delighted that we are able to bring GPS readers the results of this interview,” said Professor Rosenbaum. “As things stand now, it appears that the federal government will be directly involved in approximately 30 state marketplaces.” The interview with Mr. Cohen, and a companion update, will help GPS readers stay up to date on how those marketplaces will operate, she said.

The GPS Update featuring the interview on federally facilitated health insurance Marketplaces can be found at: http://www.healthreformgps.org/resources/update-federal-health-insurance-marketplaces-an-interview-with-gary-cohen.

HealthReformGPS was created in 2010 to track and analyze the implementation of the landmark Affordable Care Act and health reform. For more information, visit: www.healthreformgps.org.

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About the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation:The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change. For 40 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. When it comes to helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need, the Foundation expects to make a difference in your lifetime. Learn more at www.rwjf.org.

About the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services:Established in July 1997, the School of Public Health and Health Services brought together three longstanding university programs in the schools of medicine, business, and education and is now the only school of public health in the nation’s capital. Today, more than 1,100 students from nearly every U.S. state and more than 40 nations pursue undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral-level degrees in public health. http://sphhs.gwu.edu/