An Additional Ten States Receive Federal Grants for Health Insurance Exchanges

Arkansas, Colorado, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee are getting a total of $230 million in grant money to set up new health insurance exchange markets as detailed under President Barack Obama’s 2010 health care overhaul law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

The Health and Human Services Department (HHS) awarded nearly $230 million to 10 states to help them establish insurance exchanges — new marketplaces to compare and buy healthcare policies. Although most Republican governors have railed against the healthcare law, several have also taken steps to establish their own exchanges and avoid the prospect of the federal government taking over the task.

The GOP-led states receiving healthcare grants Wednesday include New Jersey, where Gov. Chris Christie is a leader in the conservative movement and has been mentioned as a potential vice-presidential candidate. The Republican governors of Nevada, Pennsylvania and Tennessee also accepted grants, along with six Democrat-led states.

 

The healthcare law calls on each state to set up its own exchange and allows HHS to establish a fallback in states that don’t take action themselves. That threat has helped motivate some Republican governors to begin implementing the healthcare law even though they oppose it.

via TheHill

Topics: Health Grants, Obamacare Grants, State Grants

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