As the health care law takes a pounding from Republicans on Capitol Hill and from Republican governors across the country, Obama administration officials are trying to calm concerns that states won鈥檛 have the flexibility they need to implement a key part of the the sweeping measure.
An administration聽memo circulating Thursday details how states can determine which insurers will be allowed to offer聽plans in the 鈥渆xchanges,鈥� marketplaces established in 2014, where eligible individuals can purchase health care coverage. The memo also discusses how states can tailor Medicaid聽plans to聽鈥渕irror options available in the private market, such as a standard Blue Cross/Blue Shield plan or a state employee health plan.鈥澛�
The guidance also states that the exchanges can also offer a GOP favorite 鈥� health savings accounts, where consumers can put money tax-free to help pay for medical costs.
鈥淢ake no mistake: the State-based health insurance exchanges called for in the Affordable Care Act will give states substantial flexibility to establish exchanges that meet the unique needs of their residents,鈥� the document reads.
In the adminstration鈥檚 continued effort to聽defend and promote the law,聽Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius,聽in an op-ed published in ,聽said the law 鈥渁lready gives states most of the resources and flexibility they鈥檙e asking for,鈥� and that the measure 鈥済ives states incredible freedom to tailor reforms to their needs.鈥�
The administration鈥檚 moves come after 21 Republican governors wrote to Sebelius Monday聽to ask for specific changes to the law. Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels also weighed in via an op-ed 鈥撀爄n聽 he wrote that 鈥渢he law expects to conscript the states as its agents in its takeover of health care. It assumes that we will set up and operate its new insurance 鈥榚xchanges鈥� for it, using our current welfare apparatuses to do the numbingly complex work of figuring out who is eligible for its subsidies, how much each person or family is eligible for, redetermining this eligibility regularly, and more.鈥�
This is one of KHN鈥檚 Short Takes 鈥� brief items in the news.