Some states have been working on setting up a health insurance exchange for quite some time. Other states have flat out refused to create one. The state of Kentucky will make a state health insurance exchange. Governor Steve Beshear issued an executive order to establish one.
In July of this year, the Supreme Court decided that the Affordable Care Act was constitutional. This means that states will need to create a health insurance exchange, and must have that exchange approved by the federal government, and operational, in 2014. States that choose not to create their own exchange will have one created for them by the federal government.
Previous to the decision of the Supreme Court, there were several state Governors, (mostly, if not entirely, Republican governors), who were waiting to work on their health insurance exchange until after the Supreme Court made a decision about the Affordable Care Act. Now, that decision has been made.
There are some state Governors who have decided to continue to use the “wait and see” excuse before enabling their state to begin work on a health insurance exchange. Instead of waiting to see what the Supreme Court decided, they are now waiting to see how the upcoming Presidential election turns out. Meanwhile, their states lose the opportunity to be part of the decision making process involved with the exchanges. There is a deadline coming up.
Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear is not among the Governors who are choosing to put things off. He has issued an executive order establishing the Kentucky Health Benefit Exchange. This makes Kentucky the 16th state to commit to creating its own health insurance exchange.
Governor Beshear sent a letter to Kathleen Sebelius, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. The letter was to inform her that Kentucky will begin work on its health insurance exchange. The letter also said that the Governor had been “contacted repeatedly” by people wanting Kentucky to create its own exchange.
The exchange will function as a marketplace that people who live in Kentucky can use to find affordable health insurance. Plans offered may be from private insurance companies or from federal or state health care programs. Those programs include Medicaid and the Kentucky Children’s Health Insurance Program (KCHIP).
Governor Steve Beshear made the following statement:
“Since the Supreme Court upheld most of the Affordable Care Act, Kentuckians who have had difficulty finding or qualifying for affordable health coverage will be able to do so by visiting the state’s online Health Benefit Exchange. We will work closely with insurers, providers, consumers, and other groups to develop a robust, responsive, and user-friendly portal that will help Kentuckians find the coverage that best suits their needs”.
Image by Gage Skidmore on Flickr