States opposing health law are among those receiving federal grants for exchanges

The Obama administration announced on Tuesday that nearly $220 million in new grants would be awarded to 13 states bringing the total that have been awarded such assistance to 29. This number includes seven of the states run by GOP governors that are suing the administration to overturn the health law.

NPR: GOP Governors Hedge Bets On Insurance Exchanges
Obama administration officials have announced another round of grants to states to help build the insurance marketplaces, called "exchanges," that will help individuals and small businesses buy health insurances beginning in 2014 (Rovner, 11/29).

The Associated Press: States Suing Over Health Care Law Collect Funding
Federal officials announced Tuesday they are awarding more money to help states carry out President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. So what's the surprise? Seven states that are suing to overturn the landmark law are also on the list for funding. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said 13 states will split grants totaling nearly $220 million to help set up health insurance exchanges (Alonso-Zaldivar, 11/29).

Kaiser Health News: More States Taking Federal Funds For Exchanges
Despite widespread opposition to the 2010 health law, a majority of states have now accepted federal funding to establish their own health insurance exchanges. The Department of Health and Human Services today announced nearly $220 million in new grants to 13 states (Torres, 11/29).

The New York Times Prescriptions Blog: States Receive Health Care Grants
Hoping to alleviate concerns of states, the Obama administration on Tuesday said it would award nearly $220 million in new federal grants to states to set up exchanges where uninsured Americans may eventually be able to buy medical coverage as part of the federal health care law (Japsen, 11/29).

The Washington Post: Foes Of Health-Care Law Are Among States Receiving Federal Money To Implement It
The announcement by the Obama administration brings the number of states that have received such grants to 29. It also highlights the dual path that many Republican state leaders have been following when it comes to the law -; petitioning the Supreme Court to strike it down, even as they ready their states for implementation in the event that the justices uphold the statute (Aizenman, 11/29).

The Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire: 12 States Make Progress On Health Insurance Exchanges
The Obama administration announced Tuesday that a dozen more states have crossed the first big threshold in setting up health insurance exchanges – including seven of the Republican states that are suing the administration to overturn the health care law passed last year (Radnofsky, 11/29).

Modern Healthcare: States Receive Exchange Funds, Flexibility
Even as HHS issued a second, $220 million round of state insurance exchange implementation grants Tuesday, officials sought to give states more time to establish the exchanges as few look likely to become operational by the 2014 target. The new flexibility includes a six-month delay in the deadline for states to apply for federal funding to help them implement the first operational level of their exchanges and a clarification that states will remain eligible for other exchange grants after the January 2013 deadline they are under to receive federal certification, HHS officials said (Daly, 11/29).

The Hill: Nine GOP-Led States Receive New Money To Implement Health Law
Nine Republican governors received grants Tuesday to help implement the core component of President Obama's health care law. The Health and Human Services Department awarded 13 grants, totaling almost $220 million, for states to build insurance exchanges. The new marketplaces for insurance must be up and running by 2014, and HHS has the power to step in with a federal exchange in any state that doesn't establish its own. Planning for exchanges has divided Republican governors and created rifts within state governments. Some have taken a hard line against implementing the law, but others either support the concept of an exchange or want to ensure that the federal government does not take over (Baker, 11/29).

Des Moines Register: Branstad OKs Acceptance Of Federal Grant Tied To Health Reform
Gov. Terry Branstad, an outspoken opponent of the federal health reform law, has agreed to accept a $7 million grant to help implement it. The federal grant money, announced Tuesday, is to help set up a health insurance exchange. Proponents say the electronic marketplace would offer consumers and small businesses a clear way to compare and purchase policies. ... Branstad spokesman Tim Albrecht said Tuesday that the governor believes the Supreme Court will overturn the law. But he said Branstad saw the grant money as a way to prepare for the possibility it will be upheld (Leys, 11/29).