Health insurance exchanges stall in Kansas and Georgia

Kansas Health Institute News: House Committee Votes To Halt Spending Of Health Reform Grant Funds
The House Appropriations Committee has voted to block Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger from spending any more federal grant dollars to plan for the implementation of the federal health reform law. ... The grants, which totaled about $2.3 million, were intended to help Kansas plan and develop a health insurance purchasing exchange and to educate consumers about the exchange (McLean, 2/9). 

Georgia Health News: Health Exchange Idea Faces Uncertain Future
Early in January, the Republican leadership in the General Assembly declared the door was shut this year on any bill to set up a health insurance exchange in Georgia. The decision surprised many, because an advisory committee, appointed by Gov. Nathan Deal, had recommended in December that such an online insurance marketplace for small businesses be created. ... But Rep. Pat Gardner (D-Atlanta), a member of the exchange panel, sees no need to wait. She has introduced an exchange bill anyway (Miller, 2/9).

MarketWire: (Ill.) Small Business Advocacy Council Announces Introduction Of Health Care Cooperative Legislation
The Small Business Advocacy Council (SBAC) announced introduction of House Bill 3976, ... to authorize health care cooperatives in Illinois in an effort to stabilize health care costs for small business owners. A health care cooperative (coop - consumer owned and operated plan) is a state-chartered, nonprofit, membership organization comprised of individuals and small employers joined together to operate as a health insurance issuer (2/9).