(Washington, DC) – Today the DC Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD) and the DC HBX Authority convened the first session of a Business Outreach Series designed to inform and garner input from the small business community about the implementation of the District’s Health Benefit Exchange. The Series begins the strategic partnership between DSLBD and the HBX Authority to ensure the participation of DC’s small business community in the ongoing discussions, decision making, and development of an Exchange that will provide quality, affordable health insurance coverage for individual’s small businesses in the District of Columbia.
“DSLBD is pleased to partner with the HBX Authority to involve the business community in helping to implement the Health Benefit Exchange,” said DSLBD Director Harold Pettigrew. “The HBX has the potential to benefit DC businesses by maximizing competition, transparency, and choice in the health benefit market. The Business Outreach Series delivers the direct engagement necessary to help DC businesses realize those benefits.”
The partnership between DSLBD and the DC HBX Authority was developed from a mutual interest in ensuring that the District business community has an active role in the establishment and operations of the Exchange. Incorporating the business community’s perspective supports the HBX’s goals of stakeholder engagement, maximization of competition, transparency, and choice in the health benefit market as required by the Affordable Care Act of 2010.
“The DC HBX Authority is excited to partner with DSLBD in hosting the Business Outreach Series,” said Dr. Mohammad Akhter, DC HBX Authority Chairman. “This partnership exemplifies our shared commitment to ensuring that the perspectives of the business community are taken into account in the policy and operational decisions of the HBX Authority.”
The Business Outreach Series is structured to provide an introduction to key provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), followed by a full discussion of the insurance market plan, Navigator Program and other consumer assistance programs and future steps. Businesses will able to provide input and to share feedback directly with board members of the DC HBX Authority. Each session features presentations by DC HBX Authority leaders and staff with ample time for business-specific questions and feedback from participants. Monthly session dates for 2013 are currently being arranged and will be communicated by DSLBD and the HBX Authority.
To learn more about the DC Health Benefit Exchange, please visit: http://dchbx.com. For questions that businesses frequently ask about the HBX, please visit: http://healthreform.dc.gov/DC/Health+Reform/What+It+Means+for+You/Employers. To learn more about DSLBD, please: visit http://dslbd.dc.gov, follow DSLBD on Twitter at @bizDC, or like our Facebook page http://facebook.com/bizDC.