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State Senator calls for Legislature to begin work on health insurance exchange

A State Senator from Omaha says the Nebraska Legislature should begin work to set up a health insurance marketplace, and that process should include public input.

A meeting last week in Lincoln brought together state officials, the insurance industry, and other stakeholders to discuss the state-based health exchange following the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling last month on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

 

Senator Jeremy Nordquist of Omaha says the timeline for showing the state can implement such a marketplace is quickly approaching. "By January first, 2013, the federal government will determine whether or not they think we're ready to run our own exchange, or at least if we're making enough progress that we'll be ready by the following January. If not, they're going to come in and run the exchange for us, so we really got to get moving on the establishment of the exchange."

 

Nordquist says he's disappointed by what he sees as a lack of public input thus far on the health insurance marketplace. 

 

The Unicameral's Banking, Commerce, and Insurance Committee will hear from the Nebraska Department of Insurance Thursday about the insurance exchange program. The Affordable Care Act is also the subject of a forum Thursday at the Omaha Press Club.