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Local Insurance Providers Regroup After Healthcare Law Change

DETROIT (WWJ) - President Barack Obama does an about-face and says Americans can keep existing insurance plans that would've otherwise been canceled under the new health care law.

So what's that mean for the estimated 225,000 Michiganders who have already gotten cancellation notices? Andy Hetzel with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan says providers have to re-group following Thursday's announcement.

"We need to read and understand the new regulations that come down from that announcement from Washington. Understand how they effect our business and also understand what the state insurance commissioner wants us to do," says Hetzel.

Hetzel says every Michigan insurance provider will have to work with the state's insurance commissioner to make changes based on the president's decision.

Hetzel adds, "What we need to do now is understand the new regulations, understand what we need to do to comply with them and then reach out to our customers to help them understand what their options are. It might turn out that our customers may have the ability to stay in the plans that they're in today."

President Obama also promised improvements in the Healthcare.gov website, where fewer than 27,000 people were able to enroll in plans during October in 36 states combined.

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