There’s still time for the Illinois General Assembly to pass legislation creating a state-operated health insurance exchange, but Gov. Pat Quinn hopes lawmakers don’t wait until June to act, a Quinn aide said Monday.
Some legislators have indicated they want to delay a decision until summer, when the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on whether the federal Affordable Care Act and the act’s individual insurance mandate are constitutional.
However, there will be problems if a bill to set up a board of directors and funding for a regulated insurance clearinghouse in Illinois isn’t passed until June, said Michael Gelder, the Democratic governor’s senior health-care policy adviser.
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Illinois’ proposed self-supporting exchange would be a place for individuals and small businesses to buy health insurance and potentially qualify for federal subsidies to make premiums and other out-of-pocket costs more affordable.
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State Rep. Frank Mautino, D-Spring Valley, said he is working on a legislative compromise that could pass the House and Senate this spring in time for Quinn to sign it into law. Passage of a law would ensure that Illinois qualifies for more than $80 million in federal startup grants, according to administration officials.
The grants would pay for a massive upgrade of state government’s computer capacity and would have the added benefit of helping the state enact a 2011 Illinois law designed to cut down on Medicaid abuse and make the program more efficient.
http://www.sj-r.com/top-stories/x1184534252/Quinn-seeking-spring-action-on-state-health-care-preparation
Hat Tip: State Journal-Register
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