Insurance Commissioner Mike Consedine has announced that the Pennsylvania Insurance Department will hold three forums during August to gather public input on health insurance exchanges.

Health insurance exchanges are a one-stop shopping resource for those who are looking to buy health insurance. They offer consumers and businesses a variety of choices when they are in the market for a health insurance plan.

“Under federal health care reform, states can develop their own exchanges, or default to the federal government,” Consedine said. “The Insurance Department is currently exploring options for our health care consumers, payers and other stakeholders.”

The department is actively seeking input from all parties impacted by the formation of health insurance exchanges. The forums will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day, with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m., as follows: 

• Tuesday, Aug. 9: Doubletree Hotel Pittsburgh/Monroeville Convention Center, 101 Mall Blvd., Monroeville, PA, 15146
• Thursday, Aug. 11: Crowne Plaza Liberty Convention Center, 260 Mall Blvd., King of Prussia, PA, 19406
• Tuesday, Aug. 23: Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey, 4650 Lindle Road, Harrisburg, PA, 17111

Information about the upcoming forums and related materials are available online at www.insurance.pa.gov; click on “Health Insurance Exchanges Forums.”

Interested parties can also register for the forums and submit comments via that link. For those unable to attend, video of the forums will be available via the web.

More Information About the Forums