Designing a Health Insurance Exchange: The Right Choices for Texas

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Author:
Stacey Pogue /(512) 320-0222 x 117

April 19, 2011

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The Affordable Care Act (federal health reform) creates new health insurance “exchanges” or marketplaces that will open in 2014. Each state will have an exchange, and will decide whether to design and run its own exchange, or turn that job over to the federal government.

If Texas chooses to set up and run its exchange, the state will have broad flexibility to design a health insurance marketplace that meets the needs of Texans. If Texas leaders do not act soon, the federal government will have the responsibility of designing Texas’ exchange. Whether decisions are ultimately made by the Texas Legislature or the Obama administration, Texas’ exchange should be designed to give Texas families and small businesses more control, high-quality choices, and better protections when buying health insurance.

In part three in a five-part primer series on health care, we count off the eight keys to designing an exchange fit for a strong and healthy Texas.

Five-part primer series:

Part One: What Is a Health Insurance Exchange?

Part Two: Current Budgets Would Place Texas Medicaid and CHIP in Critical Condition

Part Four: Budget Bills Short on Health Care for Texans

Part Five: Threats to Health Care: Attacks on Medicaid, Medicare, CHIP, and Health Reform and Austin and Washington