Mila Kofman, an alumna of Georgetown’s law school and a research professor with the Georgetown Public Policy Institute (GPPI), has been named executive director of the District of Columbia Health Benefit Exchange.
The government’s Affordable Care Act requires each state and the District to set up an exchange for individuals and owners of small businesses to buy health insurance with the aim of reducing the cost of insurance and providing more choices.
The executive board of the Health Benefit Exchange Authority (HBX) voted unanimously to appoint Kofman, who will begin her duties – managing operations, advancing D.C. health care reform and recommending strategic priorities – on Jan. 2, 2013.
Improving Health Care
“We are very fortunate to have Mila Kofman to serve as our executive director,” said Dr. Mohammad Akhter, chair of the Health Benefit Exchange Authority. “Her vast array of experiences in the insurance and health policy arenas will serve us well as she leads us in implementing health care reform and in creating the best health insurance exchange in the country.”
A nationally recognized expert on private health insurance markets, Kofman is a faculty member at GPPI’s Health Policy Institute, where she works with states and other stakeholders to implement health insurance reforms.
Kofman worked on health care reform at the U.S. Department of Labor from 1997 to 2001, and earlier assisted with legislative and regulatory health care reform initiatives at the White House’s Domestic Policy Council.
Exciting Opportunities
“I am honored to be selected by the board of directors,” Kofman said, “and excited about the opportunity to work with government leaders, the regulated community, health care leaders and most of all, the businesses and residents of the District of Columbia, to improve the quality of health care through quality affordable health care coverage.”
“Together,” she added, “We can establish a robust and viable health insurance exchange marketplace second to none.”
Kofman has served in several other key leadership positions, including secretary-treasurer of the Northeastern Zone of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), chair of the Health Insurance Regulatory Framework Task Force (2011) and co-chair of the Consumer Information working group of NAIC.
The Right Balance
From 2008 to 2011, she served under Maine Gov. John Baldacci as superintendent of insurance in that state, where she regulated a multi-billion dollar insurance industry.
“As the superintendent of insurance of Maine, Mila Kofman found the right balance between protecting consumers while also promoting a healthy and responsible insurance industry,” Gov. Baldacci said. “She has spent much of her career working to expand access to health insurance and will be a strong leader as the District of Columbia works to establish its exchange and implement the Affordable Care Act.”
Her first stint at Georgetown began as an associate research professor and project director at the Georgetown’s Health Policy Institute from 2001 to 2008.
Kofman, who graduated from Georgetown Law in 1996, rejoined the GPPI faculty in July 2011.
Leader in Health Policy
Her published work includes a report on health insurance scams and articles on state and federal health insurance reforms in peer-reviewed journals.
She also has served as an expert witness in civil and criminal cases involving health insurance scams and unauthorized insurance, and has testified before the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and state legislatures.
“We are very proud of Mila and congratulate her on her appointment as executive director,” says Edward Montgomery, dean of GPPI. “As a leader in the health policy arena she will offer an invaluable contribution to the D.C. Health Benefit Exchange and the wider D.C. community.”
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