Virginia Chamber of Commerce to start private health insurance and benefits exchange

The Virginia Chamber of Commerce said Thursday that  it  plans  to  partner  with  ChamberSolutions  to  start a private  health  insurance  and  benefits  exchange for  businesses  across  the  state.

When the Virginia Benefit Market is operational, employers will be  able  to  offer  employees  access  to  a  one-stop,  online  marketplace   for  health  insurance  and other  benefits.

Barry  DuVal, president  and CEO of  the  chamber,  made the  announcement  at  the  Virginia  Health  Care  Conference and  Health  Innovation  Showcase, a two-day-event in Richmond  co-sponsored  by  the  Chamber, which ended Thursday.  It brought  together more  than  500 participants  to  discuss  how  innovation  can  transform  Virginia’s health  care  system.  

The chamber’s  initiative  occurs  as the  implementation  of  the  federal Affordable Care Act creates uncertainty  for  some business owners.

“The Virginia  Chamber  is  committed  to  promoting  market-driven  solutions  that  support  the  economic  development  and competitiveness  of  the  commonwealth,”  DuVal said in a statement.

The  Virginia  Chamber  and ChamberSolutions, which  has  23 years experience administering  chamber-sponsored  insurance  programs  in  Virginia,  have selected  CieloStar,  a  nationwide  healthcare  payment  and  benefit  technology  company based in Minneapolis, Minn., to  administer  the  exchange  platform.