With the deadline looming, news outlets report on the positions states are taking regarding the establishment of state-based health exchanges.
The Associated Press: Calif. Health Board OKs Plan For Insurance Exchange
The board overseeing California's efforts to establish an insurance marketplace for providing affordable health care approved its operational blueprint Wednesday, an essential step toward meeting a key deadline under the federal health care reform law. The governor's office is expected to forward the plan to the Obama administration on Friday, the deadline for states to notify the federal government about whether they plan to establish health care exchanges (Verdin, 11/14).
The Associated Press: Branstad: Too Much Still Unknown On Health Insurance Exchange
Gov. Terry Branstad plans to tell the federal government Friday that Iowa still doesn't have enough information to move forward with a state-based insurance marketplace under the new federal health care law, a spokesman said Wednesday. The federal government has imposed a Friday deadline for states to confirm whether they will create their own health exchanges for consumers and small businesses (11/15).
The Associated Press: New Mexico Moves Ahead With Health Exchange
Gov. Susana Martinez's administration is moving ahead to establish a state-run clearinghouse to help small businesses and tens of thousands of individuals find affordable health insurance they currently lack. A fight over the exchange, however, could break out in next year's Legislature (Massey, 11/14).
The Associated Press: Mike Chaney Sends Mississippi Plans For Insurance Exchange To Feds
Mississippi's insurance commissioner is going ahead with a state health insurance exchange, over objections from Gov. Phil Bryant, a fellow Republican. Commissioner Mike Chaney sent a letter Wednesday to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services saying Mississippi will run its own exchange. He said the state will submit the full plan by Friday (Amy, 11/14).
The Associated Press: Pence Eyes Health Plan Link
Gov.-elect Mike Pence has ruled out building a state-run health insurance exchange but appears to be leaving open the option of running a joint venture with the federal government as a critical decision deadline draws near. State leaders have until Friday to declare whether they will manage their own programs for providing insurance plans under the federal health care law (LoBianco, 11/15).
Anchorage Daily News/McClatchy: Alaska Rejects State-Run Health Insurance Exchange
Gov. Sean Parnell announced in July that Alaska would not create a state-run health insurance exchange, and he is sticking by that, Parnell spokeswoman Sharon Leighow said Tuesday. Under the federal Affordable Care Act, each state is supposed to have an exchange, a marketplace where residents can shop for private health insurance and apply for federal subsidies to help pay for it, if they are eligible. States can create the exchanges on their own, or do it in partnership with the federal government, or leave the whole project to the U.S. Department of Health and Social Services (Shinohara, 11/15).
Bloomberg: Florida Governor Scott Drops Opposition To Health Law
Florida Governor Rick Scott dropped his opposition to President Barack Obama's health overhaul, saying he wants to negotiate on the issue that began his political career. "I don't think anyone involved in trying to improve health care should say, 'no, no, no,'" Scott, a 59-year-old Republican, told the Associated Press. "Let's have a conversation." Scott's conversion came one week after Election Day, when Florida voters supported Obama's re-election and struck down a constitutional amendment aimed at making it harder to implement the health law (Bender, 11/14).