Update – Insurance Commissioner requests CoOportunity liquidation – district court to decide in late February
Concluding that insufficient funds currently exist to meet its obligations to pay medical claims, Iowa Insurance Commissioner, Nick Gerhart, filed a petition in Polk County District Court on January 29, 2015, concluding that further efforts toward rehabilitation of CoOportunity would be futile and asking for court-ordered liquidation of this non-nonprofit insurer. The Commissioner’s petition cites several factors affecting CoOportunity’s asset position, including congressional action placing an estimated $81 million in risk funding CoOportunity was slated to receive at risk; CMS’s decision in December to not advance additional 2014 funds to CoOportunity; and the unavailability of 2015 federal loan funds until late in 2015. The petition concludes that “further transaction of business by CoOportunity would be financially hazardous to policyholders, creditors, and the public.”
A hearing on liquidation is expected to occur in late February, with court-ordered liquidation expected to take effect as of February 28. Upon liquidation, the Insurance Division will take possession of CoOportunity’s assets and will administer those assets under court supervision. State guaranty funds in Iowa and Nebraska will be utilized to meet payment obligations for claims submitted by CoOportunity insureds up to limits set in law.
Commissioner Gerhart continues to advise Iowans with CoOportunity coverage to find other coverage. “Individuals and employer groups are strongly encouraged to find coverage with another insurance company and then cancel their policy with CoOportunity Health as soon as possible.” The Commissioner particularly advises individuals who purchased CoOportunity coverage through Iowa’s marketplace exchange and who are receiving advance premium tax credits and cost sharing reductions to find alternative coverage through the marketplace exchange by March 1, with open enrollment ending on February 15; while there will be a special enrollment period from March 1-April 29, 2015, to avoid having a gap in financial assistance, those individuals must meet March 1 coverage requirements. Individuals are encouraged to call the marketplace center at 1-800-706-7893 or work with an agent, broker, navigator, or consumer assistance counselor.
The Insurance Division has several informational postings, including CoOportunity alerts for persons insured by CoOportunity and for providers, on its website at www.iid.state.ia.us. The Division also has posted the following frequently asked questions (FAQs) and guidance documents.
- FAQs for individuals.
- FAQs for small groups.
- Guidance on tax credits for certain small employers that cannot offer a qualified health plan (QHP) through the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) Exchange because the employer’s principal business address is in a county in Iowa in which a QHP through the SHOP Exchange is not available for all or part of 2015.