HHS Issues Final Regulations on State Health Insurance Exchanges under Health Reform

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (?Ç£HHS?Ç¥) issued final and interim final regulations addressing, among other items, (1) how the state health insurance exchanges which are required under the health reform legislation will be established and operated and (2) how individuals and small businesses can participate in the exchanges. The regulations, which combine policies from the two sets of proposed regulations that were issued last summer, offer additional flexibility regarding the eligibility determination process. The regulations are scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on March 27, 2012, but a pre-publication copy of the regulations is available here. Additionally, a copy of the regulatory impact analysis issued by HHS is available here.