According to a July 11 blog by Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), 12 states have committed in recent weeks to lead efforts to create health insurance exchanges (HIX) by 2014. These new state-based health insurance marketplaces, called Affordable Insurance Exchanges, will allow consumers to compare health care plans and choose a private health plan that meets their needs. These exchanges were a part of the Affordable Care Act, which was upheld earlier this month by the Supreme Court.
HHS has given the states flexibility to decide whether to build a state exchange, work with other states, or partner with the federal government. Even though the official deadline is November 16, these 12 states have written letters pledging to establishing an HIX:
- California Gov. Edmund G. Brown, Jr.
- Colorado Gov. John W. Hickenlooper
- Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy
- Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie.
- Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley
- Massachusetts Gov. Deval L. Patrick
- Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton
- New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo
- Oregon Gov. John A. Kitzhaber, M.D.
- Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee
- Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin
- Washington Gov. Christine O. Gregoire
