Iowa Advocates Push for State Health Insurance Exchange While Governor Stalls on Implementation

Iowa advocates are pushing for a state-run health insurance exchange, after legislators failed last year to reach an agreement on the healthcare reform provision, according to a Des Moines Register report.

Exchanges are designed to allow individuals and small businesses comparison shop for health insurance in an online marketplace. States have until Jan. 2014 to set up an insurance exchange or must allow the federal government to take over implementation of the program.

Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad opposes health reform in general but has said that if the U.S. Supreme Court deems the law constitutional, he would prefer a state-run version of the exchange. His administration has accepted $7 million in grants to help establish an exchange, but he apparently does not believe a bill setting the details must be passed this legislative session.

According to Peggy Hubbert, director of Iowa government relations for the American Cancer Society, many other states are far ahead of Iowa in designing exchanges. She called the exchanges a "common-sense idea" that have been criticized because of party division over healthcare reform.

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