State Coverage Initiatives is releasing a new study by Deb Faulkner, Amy Lishko, and Deborah Chollet, titled “Considering a Health Insurance Exchange: Lessons from the Rhode Island Experience.”  The paper outlines the experience of a study group in Rhode Island that considered the impact an exchange could have in the Rhode Island insurance market.

The study group started by establishing goals and parameters for reform in Rhode Island given the state’s economic and political situation.  Then, they set out to learn whether an exchange modeled after Massachusetts’ Connector could help them achieve their goals.  They found that a full-blown exchange makes the most sense in the context of overall reform, including an individual mandate. An exchange would not achieve their cost containment goals by itself in the absence of subsidies or other reforms.  It could help make the market easier for consumers to navigate. 

While Connectors or Exchanges have become a hot-button topic, they are mostly discussed in general terms without a good understanding of the specific ways these strategies can help a state meet its policy goals.  In walking the reader though the learnings of the Rhode Island group, this paper helps bring greater understanding of what a Connector can and cannot achieve.


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