States make decisions about roles in insurance marketplaces

Source: Washington Post

Florida, New Jersey and Tennessee will not partner with the federal government to create the online insurance marketplaces required under President Obama’s health-care law, the states’ governors announced Friday, ending months of speculation and starting a new chapter in the implementation of the law.

The exchanges in those states — and others that have declined to set up their own exchanges or partner with the federal government — will be run by federal officials, at least through 2014.

Republicans Rick Scott of Florida and Chris Christie of New Jersey have been vocal critics of the law. They had said previously that their states would not participate in the creation of the exchanges, a key part of the law meant to help individuals and small businesses find affordable coverage.

But they were among several Republican governors who had come under enormous pressure from advocates in their states to at least partially participate — by helping to select the insurance plans included in the exchanges and spearheading some outreach efforts to encourage enrollment. The deadline to enter into such a partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services was Friday.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/states-make-decisions-about-roles-in-insurance-exchanges/2013/02/15/e1954ede-7796-11e2-95e4-6148e45d7adb_story.html