Inside Health Policy quoted Manatt's Joel Ario, a managing director with Manatt Health Solutions, for an article on the acceleration of narrow networks.
Inside Health Policy reports that Wisconsin Insurance Commissioner Ted Nickel says regulators have not yet seen an uptick in consumer questions or complaints about exchange plans' narrow networks, or problems with accessing certain providers. Nickel is overseeing the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' effort to revise the provider networks model law, and he made the comments as exchange plan provider access and widespread use of narrow networks in the new marketplace have come under scrutiny.
Ario said consumers ultimately will be the barometer on the provider networks issue. If people react to narrow networks in the same way they did to the proliferation of HMOs in the 1990s, there will be a different outcome than if they view those narrower networks -- which generally come with lower premiums -- as one choice among many in the market.
Ario added that he believes accountable care models will show up as targeted products on the exchanges.