One-time Mass. health official heads Conn. agency

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A California health care expert has been appointed by Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy as chief executive of a new state health care agency.

The appointment of Kevin J. Counihan to head the Connecticut Health Insurance Exchange was announced on Thursday.

Health exchanges are essentially marketplaces where consumers can comparison shop for insurance plans. The aim is to bring down prices and get more people insured.

Counihan was vice-president of CIGNA and president of an Orange, Calif., organization that helps states establish exchanges.

He said his priorities will be to get the exchange running in 2014 and have a user-friendly website ready by October 2013.

State Healthcare Advocate Victoria Veltri says the health exchange is seeking nearly $109 million from Washington for the exchange to operate through 2014.

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