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With a new fee for some states using the federal health insurance portal on the horizon, Oregon says it’s looking into running its own exchange again, but with another state’s software. Oregon officials say they’re planning to solicit proposals this month for technology that’s successfully running an existing health insurance exchange. (Wozniacka, 12/11)

Reporting for Kaiser Health News, Barbara Feder Ostrov writes: "Tuesday is the deadline to sign up for health coverage that begins in January, so Covered California is boosting enrollment efforts in certain underserved communities." (Feder Ostrov, 12/11)

MNsure and Minnesota health insurance companies announced on Saturday an extension of open enrollment for 2016 health plans. The joint announcement means Minnesotans now have until Dec. 28 to comply with the federal mandate that nearly all Americans have coverage Jan. 1 or pay a penalty. The deadline had been Dec. 15. (Zdechlik, 12/12)

Republican lawmakers who have repeatedly rejected efforts to expand Louisiana's Medicaid program and provide government-funded health insurance to the working poor are showing much more interest in the idea. It's hard to keep turning down the offer of billions of federal dollars for a cash-strapped state. But perhaps more importantly for the debate, the Republican governor who ran a failed presidential campaign that included strong opposition to the federal health care revamp is leaving office in January. (Deslatte, 12/13)

HHS is working to ensure that the poor maintain coverage in states that end up seeking a 1332 waiver through new guidance posted Friday. According to a statute in the Affordable Care Act, beginning Jan. 1, 2017, states can request that the federal government waive basically every major coverage component of the ACA, including exchanges, benefit packages, and the individual and employer mandates. (Dickson 12/11)