Colorado, Maryland make progress on how to fund state-run health exchanges

The Associated Press/Washington Post: Maryland House Advances Measure To Pay For Health Care Exchange
The House of Delegates has advanced a measure to expand Medicaid eligibility and create a funding stream for Maryland's health benefit exchange as part of the federal health care overhaul. The House gave the bill initial approval on Saturday. A vote is expected early next week (3/23).

Kaiser Health News: Connecticut Races To Reach Uninsured, Open Health Insurance Marketplace
In the nation's insurance capital, the hunt to find uninsured people and get them enrolled in the state's new online health insurance marketplace has already begun. Officials working for Access Health CT, created under the federal health law, have collected names of more than 1,300 people needing coverage at recent town-hall meetings across the state. This spring and summer, they plan to use booths at festivals and street fairs to gather thousands more. Come fall, they'll also pay community groups and small businesses, such as barbers and beauticians, in New Haven, Bridgeport and other cities with high uninsured rates to reach out to people and sign them up for coverage on the spot (Galewitz, 3/25).

Sacramento Bee: California Health Exchange To Create 500 Call Center Jobs In Rancho Cordova
California's emerging health care exchange will bring a new call center -- and 500 local jobs -- to Rancho Cordova. City and state officials confirmed Friday that Covered California, the organization instrumental to carrying out the federal health insurance overhaul in California, has signed a local lease to open a state service center on White Rock Road in Rancho Cordova. "We welcome them," said city economic development director Curt Haven. "They complement our other companies located in Rancho Cordova. We have a ready and willing workforce that will easily fill those jobs" (Hecht, 3/23).