"Politics superseded good policy," state Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, said of the inaction on creating an exchange to help small businesses and individuals buy health insurance.
Texas is one of nine states - other than Florida, the others are mostly small, with relatively few uninsured residents - identified by the Kaiser Family Foundation as having made "no significant progress" toward establishing an exchange. A Perry spokeswoman said there are no plans to change that.
"(Perry) feels the health care bill is unconstitutional and misguided," spokeswoman Lucy Nashed said. "There are no plans to implement an exchange."
But analysts say the delay makes it more likely the state will miss a Jan. 1, 2013, deadline for proving a state exchange is on track. If it's not, the federal government will impose its own exchange.
...
State Rep. John Zerwas, an anesthesiologist and Richmond Republican, unsuccessfully pushed a bill to create an exchange last year. "It was the desire of the governor to take a wait-and-see position, in light of the fact that it was being challenged (in court), and in consideration to what might happen in November," Zerwas said.
He and other officials said Perry could create an exchange by executive order;Nashed said Perry has no plans to do so.
Zerwas said he believes an exchange could help the uninsured, especially those who own or work for a small business.
"The problem with an exchange is, it got synonymous with Obamacare and it was tainted," he said.
http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Texas-slow-to-move-on-health-care-reforms-3313025.php
Hat tip: Houston Chronicle/ Kaiser Family Foundation
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