Health News
- State Insurance Exchanges Are Good For Farmers And Other Rural Residents, Farmers Union President Writes
Farmers and rural Americans have much to gain from state health-insurance exchanges under federal health reform, since "Rural residents often have the hardest time getting health insurance," the president of the Wisconsin Farmers Union argues...
- What's The Status Of A Health Insurance Exchange In Kentucky?
By Tara Kaprowy Kentucky Health News At the end of February, Kentucky received $57.8 million in federal funds to help set up a health insurance exchange or marketplace under federal health-care reform. Officials say all the money will be used to plan...
- Kentucky Receives $57.9 Million To Set Up Insurance Exchange
Kentucky received $57.9 million Wednesday to help set up a health insurance exchange or marketplace ? though lawmakers have made no move to make that happen. Kentucky is one of 10 states to receive this latest round of federal insurance exchange establishment...
- States All Over The Map In Setting Up Health Insurance Exchanges; Kentucky Officials Say They Await More Federal Guidance
A breakdown of where states stand in implementing pieces of the federal health-care reform law shows Kentucky lagging behind. But Kentucky officials say they're awaiting more direction from the federal government before they decide their...
- Kentucky And Other States Slow To Adopt Health-law Mandates
Though it's one of the centerpieces of the new health care law, most states have not taken steps to establish a health insurance exchange, and that incluides Kentucky. The exchanges are meant to make it easier and less expensive for people who buy...
Health News
Kentucky and most other states continue to delay action on health-insurance exchanges, despite Jan. 1, 2013 deadline
Though states must be able to prove whether or not they're ready to run a state insurance exchange by Jan. 1, 2013, many, including Kentucky, have not made any moves toward setting one up.
Kentucky officials have said they are waiting for more guidance to come from the federal level before anything can be decided, but there were indications that the administration of Gov. Steve Beshear might have been delaying action until last month's gubernatorial election. If Kentucky were to set up its own exchange, a move would likely have to be made in the 2012 General Assembly.
Jason Millman of Politico Pro writes an easy-to-understand summary of the complex issue and what it will mean for the American public: "Set to open in January 2014, exchanges will offer a marketplace where individuals and small businesses in each state can shop for health coverage. The exchanges, which offer subsidized coverage to lower- and middle-income individuals, will absorb more than half of the law's projected expansion of health coverage to 32 million people."
Some Republican-dominated states are waiting to see if the U.S. Supreme Court will rule the federal health-care reform law or its individual mandate unconstitutional, but a ruling is not expected until June at the earliest. "If that's when they start to work on an exchange, they will certainly be challenged to have a state-based exchange in 2014," said Steve Larsen, who oversees exchange development for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Wisconsin state Sen. Frank Larsee, chairman of the insurance committee, plans to wait even longer ? opting to wait until after the 2012 presidential election. "Exchanges really aren't required until 2014, so we have plenty of time after November 2012," he said, not addressing the Jan. 2013 deadline.
So far, just 13 states have passed legislation to form an exchange. (Read more)
- State Insurance Exchanges Are Good For Farmers And Other Rural Residents, Farmers Union President Writes
Farmers and rural Americans have much to gain from state health-insurance exchanges under federal health reform, since "Rural residents often have the hardest time getting health insurance," the president of the Wisconsin Farmers Union argues...
- What's The Status Of A Health Insurance Exchange In Kentucky?
By Tara Kaprowy Kentucky Health News At the end of February, Kentucky received $57.8 million in federal funds to help set up a health insurance exchange or marketplace under federal health-care reform. Officials say all the money will be used to plan...
- Kentucky Receives $57.9 Million To Set Up Insurance Exchange
Kentucky received $57.9 million Wednesday to help set up a health insurance exchange or marketplace ? though lawmakers have made no move to make that happen. Kentucky is one of 10 states to receive this latest round of federal insurance exchange establishment...
- States All Over The Map In Setting Up Health Insurance Exchanges; Kentucky Officials Say They Await More Federal Guidance
A breakdown of where states stand in implementing pieces of the federal health-care reform law shows Kentucky lagging behind. But Kentucky officials say they're awaiting more direction from the federal government before they decide their...
- Kentucky And Other States Slow To Adopt Health-law Mandates
Though it's one of the centerpieces of the new health care law, most states have not taken steps to establish a health insurance exchange, and that incluides Kentucky. The exchanges are meant to make it easier and less expensive for people who buy...