HHS rule for health exchanges takes shape

Meanwhile, legislation in Oregon to create a health insurance exchange was passed by the state House of Representatives and will now go to the governor.

Politico Pro: Exchanges Rule To Cover Federal Fallback
In a Tuesday conference call on state health exchanges organized by the Commonwealth Fund, HHS Director of Coverage Policy Chiquita Brooks-LaSure dropped many hints of what to expect from the agency's proposed rule on health exchanges, due out sometime this month. HHS received more than 300 comments from interested parties on what they'd like to see on exchanges and held numerous meetings with states — a stakeholder conference in August followed by many meetings with exchange planning grantees, the latest of which was in Denver — to seek feedback on what ought to be addressed in the regulation, according to Brooks-LaSure (Kliff, 6/7). 

Oregonian: State House Approves Health Insurance Exchange To Cover All Oregonians
A bill that will extend health insurance to nearly all Oregonians, a key part of state health care reform, won final passage in the Legislature on Tuesday. Senate Bill 99 will create a government regulated and subsidized health insurance marketplace called an exchange to make coverage affordable and mandatory (Graves, 6/7). 

The Lund Report: House Passes Insurance Exchange Bill
A bill that sets in motion the creation of a health insurance exchange in Oregon passed the House of Representatives today with 48 votes in favor and 12 opposed. Having already passed the Senate, the bill now goes to the Governor for his expected signature. Rep. Jim Thompson (R-Dallas) called SB 99 the "most maligned bill" to come out of the healthcare committee this session. (Rosenfeld, 6/7).