25 States Apply To Operate Health Insurance Exchanges

On December 17, 2012, the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that 25 states (including the District of Columbia) had applied to operate a state-run health insurance exchange by the December 14 deadline. Of the 26 states that did not submit a Blueprint for a state-run exchange, 23 states have indicated that they will not operate their own exchanges, and another three had made no official decision as of December 14, 2012. States could propose creating state-run exchange, partnering with the federal government on a hybrid exchange, or completely deferring to the federal government . . .