After Election Day, states face deadline on health exchanges

Under the health law, states are required to let the Department of Health and Human Services know by Nov. 16 if they plan to set up their own exchanges or enter into a state-federal partnership.

CQ HealthBeat: On Exchanges: For States, The Clock Ticks Down To Election Day -; And Nov. 16
Should President Obama be re-elected, it's likely the health care law will remain intact and states will have to let the Department of Health and Human Services know by Nov. 16 if they intend to set up their own exchanges or enter into a state-federal partnership. Those states that opt to stay on the sidelines will have federally run exchanges in their states in 2014, though they could move to set up state exchanges in later years. If [Mitt Romney] wins, the fate of the health care law will be less certain and may also depend on the makeup of Congress, though the Nov. 16 deadline and the law will remain for now, and the exchanges may even survive (Norman, 11/5).

The Associated Press/Chicago Tribune: Illinois Moves Ahead On Health Insurance Exchange
Illinois officials are reviewing five bids to build the state's health insurance exchange -- a required component of the federal health care overhaul that Gov. Pat Quinn intends to implement regardless of who wins the presidency on Tuesday. ... The Illinois Department of Insurance has received proposals on the exchange contract from Infosys, CGI, Deloitte Consulting, Xerox and Cognizant Technologies Solutions (Johnson, 11/5).

In other health law implementation news -

MPR: Value Of Health Insurance Could Be Tough Sell To Some Uninsured
Going without a health plan is bad for your personal and financial health. ... The federal health care overhaul aims to drastically reduce the number of Americans who don't have insurance. But as Minnesota officials gear up to promote the importance of health insurance, market research indicates even subsidized health plans will be a tough sell with some people. You may wonder why states need to proactively sing the praises of health insurance. ... After all, the law provides free or low-cost coverage through government programs such as Medicaid and will include financial help through tax subsidies for many others (Stawicki, 11/6).

Los Angeles Times: Quiz: Test Your Healthcare Knowledge
Healthcare costs continue to climb, putting pressure on employers and consumers in a sputtering economy. In the past decade, U.S. health premiums have shot up 97%, three times as fast as wages and inflation nationwide, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Test your knowledge of healthcare costs and some of the changes under the federal healthcare law (Terhune, 11/5).