Lt. Gov. Gregory Francis met with executives of Blue Cross Blue Shield of the U.S. Virgin Islands and other territorial officials to discuss the potential availability of individual health insurance policies in 2015.
According to a news release issued by Francis’s gubernatorial campaign committee – Francis is running for the Democratic nomination for governor in the August primary – the meeting took place at the V.I. Office of Banking and Insurance at the Nisky Center on St. Thomas. The release did not say when the meeting occurred.
The statement said the meeting followed an April meeting in Washington, D.C., which Francis attended as one of 43 state insurance officials. Other attendees at that session included President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and administration health officials. It was called by the White House in preparation of the 2015 open enrollment period to provide a platform for regulators in states and territories to discuss ongoing health care challenges in their respective jurisdictions.
Participants of the St. Thomas-based meeting noted that all plans offered under the Affordable Care Act would include MASA and ACA Essential Health Benefit required benchmarks.
Francis, who called the meeting "fruitful," was joined by V.I. Director of Banking and Insurance John McDonald, Health Policy Advisor for the Office of the Governor Taetia Phillips-Dorsett, and executives from Blue Cross Blue Shield of the U.S. Virgin Islands, including President and Chief Executive Officer Pablo Almodovar-Scalley and Chief Operating Officer Roberto Garcia-Rodriguez.
Staff of the V.I. Division of Banking and Insurance and the Office of the Governor have been meeting to discuss the issue for almost a year. Topics have included health insurance plan design, enrollment cycles, eligibility requirements, plan affordability and other issues, the statement said.
"As there are currently no new individual health insurance policies being sold in the U.S. Virgin Islands, I recognize the importance of making available an affordable product in the territory as soon as possible," Francis said.
The lieutenant governor said that with positive and continued participation from local partners, providing affordable insurance to individuals and small businesses in the territory is "now not just a goal, but a matter of planning for a better Virgin Islands.
