health insurance exchange

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Can Florida Comply With New Health Insurance Exchange Deadlines? The Department of Health and Human Services released its interim final rule on Affordable Health Insurance Exchanges. The rule will offer states flexibility as they design health insurance exchanges in compliance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) also known as Obamacare. States can establish one exchange for the entire state, multiple district-based exchanges, or regional exchanges in cooperation with other states. The directives maintain the January 1, 2013 deadline for states to establish exchanges and the October 1, 2013 for these exchanges to be operational. However the rule does not outline how the federal government would establish exchanges in states that do not comply. Since the 2012 Florida Legislative Session ended without addressing the establishment of an exchange, odds are that Florida will not be ready to meet either of these deadlines. Many Florida Legislators and leaders are counting on the US Supreme Court to strike down the law, but it is unclear whether the Court will strike it down or when that opinion might be issued. Some are hopeful that a new Congress and new President will repeal the law, but that is also a risky strategy. As a result, there exists the strong possibility that the Federal Government will establish the exchange for Florida with no input from its elected leaders. Stay tuned.