HealthSource RI insurance exchange seeking new office space

Nov. 19--PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- HealthSource R.I., Rhode Island's version of the online health insurance marketplace mandated by President Obama's healthcare law, is requesting permission to seek new office space.

The State Properties Committee is scheduled to consider HealthSource RI's request to advertise a Request for Proposals, or RFP, on Tuesday morning.

Among the HealthSource RI officials expected to attend are Deputy Director Tricia Leddy and Meetesh Kumar, director of finance and administration.

HealthSource RI spokesman Ian Lang said Monday that the agency is seeking about 15,000 square feet of space in the Providence area to house up to 50 people, including full time staff, contractors and visitors.

He said HealthSource RI is pursuing a possible lease after determining that there is no suitable office space in state-owned properties for the agency.

That includes in HealthSource RI's recently-opened customer service center located on Royal Little Drive, in Providence.

Connextions, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, is running that operation and has about 75 workers in that leased space.

Lang says the agency, which currently has the equivalent of nine full-time staffers, hopes to move into a new office space by early 2014.

He said HealthSource RI workers are currently split between the State House and the Department of Administration building across Smith Street.

In a budget request submitted to Governor Chafee's administration in October, HealthSource RI proposed $659,200 for new office space.

"Until this point, the Exchange has had staff scattered among various state buildings in temporary situations," according to the budget request. "This arrangement has not been conducive to creating a cohesive and well-controlled organization."

The agency, in its budget request, also requested permission to hire up to 27 full-time workers. (It is currently authorized to hire about 15).

HealthSource RI proposes 8 staffers in the director's office; 3 in its information technology division, 10 in financial management jobs, 4 in community outreach roles and 2 in-house legal counsels, according to the budget request.

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