Tufts Senior VP Appointed By Romney Administration To Head Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority, USA

As expected, Jon Kingsdale, a senior vice president of policy development at Tufts Health Plan was appointed by the Romney administration as head of the Common Health Insurance Connector Authority, the Boston Globe reports (Krasner, Boston Globe, 5/26). Under the new Massachusetts law, the Connector must approve and have insurance plans available for those with annual incomes lower than 300% of the federal poverty level by Oct. 1 to ensure that nearly all residents have health insurance by July 2007. The Connector will establish a market for insurance companies to sell low-cost policies. The position also is responsible for creating “key rules” of the program, such as what level of premiums is affordable for the state’s uninsured residents (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 5/23).