From The Spartanburg Herald Journal:
“This is going to mean instead of the fox guarding the henhouse, the fox would be designing the henhouse.” -Rep. Harold Mitchell
By Stephen Largen
stephen.largen@shj.com
COLUMBIA — Gov. Nikki Haley has decided South Carolina won’t pursue any more grant money from the federal health care overhaul to fund a possible state-run health insurance exchange.
“The governor has said she’s going to evaluate these opportunities as they come as to what’s best for South Carolina,” said Tony Keck, the director of the state Department of Health and Human Services. “The one decision she’s already made is that there is no reason for South Carolina to apply for additional money related to health insurance exchanges.”
Keck made the comments on Thursday after the second meeting of the South Carolina Health Planning Committee, a group established by a Haley executive order that’s looking at setting up a state-run health insurance exchange and other opportunities to improve access to and reduce the cost of health care.
A health insurance exchange is an online marketplace where consumers can shop for and compare health insurance policies.
The federal health care overhaul dictates that states must set up their own exchanges to go live when the law goes into full effect in 2014 or have the federal government step in and set up one for them. (more…)
Filed under: Health Care Law Implementation | Tagged: Affordable Care Act, Harold Mitchell, health insurance exchange, Lynn Bailey, Nikki Haley, South Carolina, Tim Ervolina, Tony Keck | Leave a Comment »
