Regulations on PPACA’s state exchanges are expected in June, according to Mark C. Nielsen, an attorney with Washington-based Groom Law Group.

It will be important for all of us, employers, brokers, and the insurance industry to look at and review the exchange regulation which will probably exceed 1000 pages. Ouch!

The Department of Health and Human Services is really going to start taking its hand as to what types of federal regulations or what type of federal floor it will be setting on these exchanges. Coverage’s offered post 2014 will have to take a look at what kind of coverage is offered on the exchange because that is what employees will potentially be looking at.

And, yes, this is expensive!

2014 is going to be a rough ride. Regardless of rather we like the law or not, the bottom line is unless there is something to replace this law, come 2014 if this law is still on the books, then the exchanges have to be up and running and functional.

DYK: On May 19, HHS issued proposed regulations requiring that, beginning in September, health insurers seeking to increase their premium rates by 10% or more will have to notify the state, and in some cases the federal government, of the proposed rate and the state has ultimate authority whether or not to approve it. “Health and Human Services doesn’t have the right to reject the rate but they can determine that it is unreasonable and they will post it on their website,” Nielsen says, and this means insurers have to post it on their site as well.

The rate regulation also requires any state in the process now for rate approval is going to be required to allow input from the public as to the reasonableness of rates.”