Why You Need Open Source For Health Exchange Success

With the national election over there’s an expectation for greater bipartisanship between Republicans and Democrats, but in terms of programs with potential for cooperation, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is one of the least likely.  The ACA has been a significant point of contention between the parties, and despite the President’s reelection and therefore, the mandate to pursue ACA, it seems the conflict may continue, particularly around implementing a Health Insurance Exchange (HIX) website portal in each state.  Luckily, open source may be the answer to overcoming some of the conflict.

Response to developing state-based HIXs has been mixed.  At the time of writing, 14 states had passed legislation to pursue building their own HIXs, nine declared they would use a federally-facilitated Exchange, and nearly 30 states had yet to declare their intentions, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

But whether the states build their own or rely on the federal government to create a HIX, time is in short supply.  By October 1, 2013, Exchanges must be ready for constituents to select health plans that will begin coverage January 1, 2014.  The pressure is on, and the question is: How can states build these Exchanges in time and without overspending? The answer is open source software (OSS) and open source-style collaborative development...