This week, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) hosted its Spring National Meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana. The NAIC is an organization consisting of the chief insurance regulators from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the five U.S. territories. It helps coordinate and develop model laws and regulations that states can adopt, provides resources for insurance regulators on emerging issues and offers opportunities to coordinate and share best practices across states.
Importantly, the NAIC has a Consumer Liaison Program designed to promote consumer advocacy within the NAIC and ensure that consumer perspectives are included in insurance regulatory discussions. HCFA’s very own Ashley Blackburn, Senior Director of Policy & Government Relations, has served as a consumer representative since 2016.
During this week’s conference, Ashley presented alongside fellow consumer representatives from United States of Care and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society about the impacts of hospital consolidation on patient access and affordability. Ashley’s presentation examined the Steward Health Care collapse and how increasing hospital consolidation in our market contributed to the sale of Caritas Christi, a non-profit catholic hospital system, to the private equity-backed Steward Health Care. She also highlighted HCFA’s partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and local community-based organizations to work with the communities impacted by Steward hospital closures and ownership transfers. She then shared the top concerns from community members including access to an emergency room, the economic impact of the closures and access to primary care.
The NAIC meets again this summer in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Ashley Blackburn is a Senior Director of Policy & Government Relations at HCFA.
