White House: Health Exchanges On Track In Many States

A report Wednesday by the Obama administration said that many states, including some with GOP governors, are proceeding with state-based exchanges. Still, a federal exchange is in the works for those that can't or won't meet the health law's requirements and timeline.

The Associated Press: White House Says Obama's Health Overhaul On Track
President Barack Obama's health care overhaul is on track in many states, the White House asserted Wednesday. But officials said the administration is preparing a federal backstop anyway for states in which opposition to the new law has blocked planning. The law calls for states to build new health insurance markets called exchanges, so that millions of middle-class people who are currently uninsured can buy taxpayer-subsidized private coverage (Alonso-Zaldivar, 1/18).

The Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire: White House Touts GOP Governors' Support Of Health Insurance Exchanges
A White House report Wednesday highlights positive remarks made by several Republican governors and state legislators about setting up health insurance exchanges in their states, a key element of the health care overhaul law. While 26 states controlled by Republicans are suing the administration to overturn the health care law — and all of the GOP presidential candidates have said they would scrap it — some governors have been working on setting up exchanges in their state, arguing that they're better off working with the federal government if the 2010 law stands (Radnofsky, 1/18).

Kaiser Health News: Capsules: A Health Exchange Progress Report, Sort Of...
They're making progress! Well, at least 28 of them and the District of Columbia are. That was the main talking point from the White House this morning during a press briefing revolving around a report stating that 28 states are "on their way" to establishing new marketplaces, called exchanges, where consumers can begin to shop for health insurance starting in late 2013. The report outlines some of the actions taken in those states — run by Democrats and Republicans — to get started on the exchanges (Appleby, 1/19).

Reuters: U.S. Says 28 States Took Steps On Health Insurance Exchanges
The Obama administration said on Wednesday that 28 states have taken steps to establish insurance exchanges under the 2010 healthcare law, despite the legal and political uncertainties threatening the overhaul. Fourteen states, including several led by Republican governors, have enacted legislation or already have the authority in place to set up the regulated insurance markets that are a key segment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, according to a report by the Department of Health and Human Services (1/18).

Politico Pro: Obama Official: Federal Exchange Funds Exist
HHS has money to set up a federal exchange, even though the Affordable Care Act did not specifically appropriate funds for that purpose, a senior administration official said Wednesday. "It is clear [funding is available] in the sense that Congress appropriated a billion dollars in connection with the ACA dedicated to development and operation of the federal exchange," said the official during a call organized by the White House to unveil a report on state exchange implementation. This call was held on the condition that speakers not be identified by name, which has become a standard White House practice regarding ACA announcements (Feder, 1/18).

National Journal: Most States Advancing Insurance Exchanges
The White House released a cheerleading report on state insurance exchanges on Wednesday, summarizing the progress states have made in setting up a vital piece of the Obama administration's signature health reform law. The report says 28 states have made some progress towards establishing an exchange, which is meant to be an online shopping destination for insurance coverage in 2014. But only a handful of those states will likely be ready to run their own exchange by 2013, when states need to prove to the federal government that their systems will meet all requirements (McCarthy, 1/18).