ARDX Awarded Contract for Exchange Stakeholder Technical Assistance
<0> ARDXLaurie Cox Spangle, 757-321-1127 </0>
Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS) has awarded Virginia-based consulting firm, ARDX, a national multi-million dollar contract to provide Technical Assistance to Stakeholders involved in the Health Insurance Exchange initiative. This contract is one of the early phases in the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) legislation; the nation’s sweeping healthcare reform law. A major component of the health care reform initiative is the establishment of State-based Health Exchanges.
The State-based Exchanges are designed to create a marketplace for researching, comparing and purchasing health insurance, either by consumers independently or by small businesses. The online Exchanges will be created by each State (or by the Federal government if the State opts to have the exchange designed for them) to allow easy access to standardized and comparable data so that individuals can make purchases most suited to their own specific needs. These transactional sites will allow individuals or small businesses to apply and purchase coverage informed by financial data regarding their premium tax credit allowance or any cost-sharing deductions for which they qualify, including CHIP and Medicaid.
Within CMS, the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIOO) is charged with the implementation of the Exchanges and the oversight of the provisions of the legislation. The CCIIO, facing tight deadlines for the implementation of the Exchange program, needs to ensure that all stakeholders have the training and information they need to understand, plan and accordingly comply with the law’s requirements.
Stakeholders include a variety of entities and individuals involved in the implementation including insurance issuers, agents, brokers, Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), Third Party Administrators (TPAs), State Reinsurance Vendors and many others. The program comprises in-person and virtual trainings, meetings, exercises, documentation, manuals and other materials and is being facilitated from September 2012 through September 2014.
Founded in 2006, ARDX is a Virginia-based corporation specializing in Healthcare Management Consulting Services with expertise in Medicare and Medicaid. Its mission is to help government and private organizations successfully integrate regulations and operations to ensure effective performance, quality and compliance. ARDX is SBA 8a, SDB, and SWaM certified and is also on the GSA MOBIS Schedule. In addition, ARDX is ISO 9001:2008 Certified and ANAB Accredited.