Washington, DC - This afternoon, the White House hosted a meeting and work session with Senator Roger Manno (D-MD) and several members of the Working Group of State Legislators for Health Reform, to discuss newly proposed HHS regulations for health care reform under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The proposed regulations apply to state health insurance exchanges that will be established in 2014.

Manno commented from the Eisenhower Executive Office Building: "We had a very productive meeting toward concensus on the new regulations. It is clear that members of the Working Group and the President agree that our goal must be to establish the strongest possible state health exchanges, in order to guarantee the very best care to Americans."

The Working Group of State Legislators for Health Reform was established on June 9th, 2009 by the White House. Comprised of state legislators, the group was tasked with:
• Sharing President Obama’s vision for health reform.
• Sharing information about Congress’s work on health reform, answering questions, and dispelling myths about health reform.
• Gathering information about what our citizens want and need from national health reform and sharing it with Congress and the Administration.

The working group has been instrumental in its task to deliver real health reform to Americans. During the process, the group evolved into an ad hoc, independent working group that is continually assisting elected officials from across the nation committed to health reform in the states. Through the diversity of the members, the group was successful at conducting town hall meetings, lobbying Congressional members, writing opinion articles and providing expert testimony to the Administration and Congress in passing Health Care Reform.

Since the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordability Act, the working group has been identifying its new mission in the implementation, with focus now shifting to rules and regulation process of health care reform. Presently, the group is working to expand to all states to have members utilize the expertise of the collective group in executing health reform at the state level.

If you would like to submit comments on the proposed HHS regulations, please visit: http://www.regulations.gov/#!h​ome

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