SCC News

RICHMOND – The State Corporation Commission (SCC) awarded a contract to GetInsured of Mountain View, California, which also has an office in Richmond, for the technology platform and consumer assistance center that will support Virginia’s health insurance exchange (Exchange), an online consumer marketplace for private health insurance coverage.

Following a competitive procurement process that included evaluation committee members and subject matter experts from three state agencies, the SCC selected GetInsured for an eight-year contract. GetInsured has successfully transitioned three states to operate their own health insurance exchanges, and currently operates the technology for seven state-based exchanges.

"The SCC is looking forward to working with GetInsured, a proven company with unmatched experience helping states transition from the federal exchange," said Keven Patchett, director of the Exchange. "With this contract award, we are taking the final steps to execute on providing a Virginia-based exchange focused on high-quality consumer service and connecting more Virginians to affordable health insurance."

The new contract does not impact the upcoming Open Enrollment that starts November 1, 2022. Until the transition to a state-based exchange is completed in fall 2023, Virginians should visit Healthcare.gov  to sign up for coverage.

In 2020 the Virginia General Assembly passed legislation creating the Health Benefit Exchange Division within the SCC. This division is responsible for overseeing Virginia's transition to a Virginia Exchange.

The Exchange will work closely with partners and stakeholders throughout this transition, including Virginia’s insurance carriers, agents, brokers, and navigators to promote an efficient, consumer-friendly shopping experience.

“We are delighted to bring all the benefits of a state-based exchange to Virginia,” said GetInsured CEO Chini Krishnan. “We commend the state for taking this important step. A state-based exchange will allow Virginia to better address and respond to the unique needs of its market and will make health insurance even more accessible to communities across the state."

RICHMOND – The State Corporation Commission (SCC) is pleased to announce its release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the State-Based Exchange Technology Platform (SBE Platform) and Consumer Assistance Center (CAC) on eVA, Virginia’s central procurement system. This RFP is the next step for the Health Benefit Exchange (HBE) division of the SCC to successfully transition from HealthCare.gov to a fully autonomous, Virginia-based health insurance exchange.

Vendor proposals, which should incorporate the SBE Platform and CAC, are due May 2. The SCC expects to award the contract in mid- to late-summer of 2022.

HBE’s primary purpose is to promote a transparent and competitive marketplace, promote consumer choice and education, assist individuals with access to programs, premium assistance tax credits, cost sharing reductions, support the continuity of coverage, and reduce the number of uninsured.

The Health Benefit Exchange will:

• provide eligibility, enrollment, and tailored customer service closer to Virginia citizens;
• more closely coordinate with other state agencies and programs to increase the likelihood that individuals maintain health care coverage; and
• directly handle consumer complaints and address consumer issues to design and optimize the consumer shopping experience.

Open Enrollment for plan year 2023 will begin on November 1, 2022. Virginia marketplace consumers will continue to shop for health plans on HealthCare.gov until November 1, 2023. The SCC anticipates that the full transition to its own state-based platform will be completed by the fall of 2023, in time for Open Enrollment for health plans that begin coverage January 1, 2024.

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Contact: Ford Carson, 804-371-9141