A nervous HHS extends the deadline on states setting up health care exchanges.

Well, if nobody else is going to say it, I will: the federal government did not want to do this.

States received an extra month from the Obama administration to decide whether to build online marketplaces for medical insurance after Republican governors pressed their resistance to the president’s health-care law.

Extending a deadline set for today, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius said states can wait until Dec. 14 to declare whether they’ll build their own insurance exchanges. States that opt out can join a partnership with the federal government or let the U.S. run the markets.

And the fact that the federal government does not want to do it is such a sad thing that it makes me cry.  You can’t see it, of course, but the waterworks are well and truly on.  I can barely see the screen through the tears…

Moe Lane

PS: Democratic Missouri Governor Jay Nixon had to write a letter telling the feds that he was explicitly forbidden to unilaterally set up an state exchange without the legislature’s permission, which was… not forthcoming.  I imagine that stung, a little.

6 thoughts on “A nervous HHS extends the deadline on states setting up health care exchanges.”

  1. “butt the money comes rolling in, from everywhere” -evita

    I am not as up on the details as you are Moe. But my insurance company sent me another “F, You Pay me” -goodfellas letter today.

    It seems to this guy that the key is to get the money rollin’ in, and then, later, at somepoint, start dealing with the details of providing healthcare coverage. And certainly the left will allow us our little ecxhanges etc, with the strategic goal of single payer.

  2. I’m not at sanguine. They will extend the deadline as much and as often as they need to badger and/or sweet talk as many Governors as they can. And any that don’t fall in line will get the “heartless right-wing ideologue” treatment.

    Jindal is probably safe. But I see too many wavering and/or undeclared R governors to take comfort. This whole “fiscal cliff” debacle is just to force the House to give in to tax increases so they can fund this abomination.

  3. In NC our lame duck chose the partnership. I imagine she didn’t think she could get away with the state exchange under the circumstances. I wonder if Pat McCrory will have an option to change the decision after he is sworn in…

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