Health Benefits Exchange Board A

Health Benefits Exchange Board Announced

Dan Pilcher

CACI Senior Vice President

& Chief Operating Officer

E-Mail: dpilcher@COchamber.com

www.COchamber.com

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Capitol Report Sponsor

Board Appointments for Colorado Health Benefits Exchange Announced

Yesterday, Governor John Hickenlooper announced nine appointments to the Colorado Health Benefits Exchange Board. Three of the nine are CACI members, whose organizations are highlighted below in blue.

1. Richard T. Betts, owner, ASAP Accounting & Payroll, Inc., Telluride (term expires 2013).

2. Eric Grossman, vice president, TriZetto Englewood (term expires 2013).

3. Robert S. Ruiz-Moss, chief executive officer, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Lone Tree (term expires 2013).

4. Elizabeth Soberg, chief executive officer, United Healthcare of Colorado, Centennial (term expires 2013).

5. Gretchen Hammer, executive director, Colorado Coalition for the Medically Underserved, Denver (term expires 2015).

6. Stephen ErkenBrack, president, Rocky Mountain Health Plans, Grand Junction (term expires 2015).

7. Arnold Salazar, executive director, Colorado Health Partnerships, LLC, Alamosa (term expires 2015).

8. Nathan Wilkes, founder and principal consultant, Headstorms, Inc., Englewood (term expires 2015).

9. Dr. Michael Fallon, emergency room physician affiliated with Presbyterian/St. Lukes Medical Center, Denver (term expires 2015).

The Governor and the House and Senate Majority and Minority leaders of the Colorado General Assembly appointed the Board members, who will hire an executive director.

"The exchange represents a broad collaborative effort between businesses, consumers, providers, the insurer community and the state legislature," the Governor said in a news media release.

The Exchange was created by SB-200, which was sponsored by Senator Betty Boyd (D-Lakewood) and Representative Amy Stephens (R-Monument) and supported by CACI and other business organizations. The purpose of the exchange is to provide greater access to affordable health insurance for workers while promoting a competitive marketplace that protects private-sector jobs in the health-care industry.

Colorado Revenue Department Issues HB-1265 Tax Refunds to Businesses

The Colorado Department of Revenue (DOR) has informed CACI that it has begun issuing refunds to businesses that had been held up by the DOR because of the DOR's interpretation over the amount of time allowed to issue refunds.

Initiated by the CACI Tax Council, HB-1265 reaffirmed that businesses have three years to file a refund claim for an overpayment of sales taxes; the Colorado Department of Revenue was trying to advance a 60-day limit.

Earlier this year, CACI members made their concerns known to the DOR that taxpayers should continue to be allowed three years to file a sales-tax refund claim. This issue was raised based on inconsistencies being applied by the DOR in determining the length of time to be given for refund claims.

CACI Tax Council members made it clear to the DOR that the 60-day rule in statute was simply an additional measure for taxpayers to use for faster processing of refund-claim decisions. This provision was never intended to be used to supersede the three-year statute of limitations defined in Section 39-26-703(2)(e) of the Colorado Revised Statutes.

The clarification was contained in HB-1265. The bi-partisan bill was sponsored by House Majority Leader Amy Stephens (R-Monument) and Senator Michael Johnston (D-Denver).

Legislators to Tour Climax "Moly" Mine at Henderson

On September 15th, legislators will participate in a CACI-sponsored tour of the Climax Molybdenum mine, which is located one-half mile beneath the Continental Divide near Henderson.

The Climax mine tour will be part of CACI's outreach initiative this summer and fall to introduce legislators to CACI members through visits to the companies to learn about the challenges facing the businesses and how state laws and regulations affect their operations.

Climax Molybdenum Company, a subsidiary of CACI Gold Partner Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc., is the world's leading molybdenum producer and supplier.

Molybdenum, often known as "moly," is an important metal in both the industrial world and in daily life and is used as an addition to steels, irons and non-ferrous alloys. Applications for molybdenum include additions to constructional steels, tool and high speed steels, stainless steels and cast irons.

CACI Workers' Compensation Program Pays Dividend

The CACI workers' compensation program, operated by CACI members Pinnacol Assurance and Keller-Lowry Insurance, Inc., recently paid a dividend to profitable members. The group continues to perform extremely well with loss ratios well below current industry trends.

The program is open to all CACI members with a good loss-and-safety history, regardless of premium size. There are additional, up-front credits possible when eligibility is met, as well as the opportunity for another dividend such as the one just paid. Members also get the benefit of safety training, safety seminars and loss control-and-claims service.

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