Status of Health Insurance Exchanges in Michigan
A common question from business owners, controllers and human resource executives is “What is Michigan doing with respect to “Health Insurance Exchanges?” Believe it or not, we are only twenty one months away from implementation…..January 1, 2014. Here is the current situation for Michigan:
On September 10, 2011, the Michigan Senate passed the state Health Insurance Exchange Bill (Senate Bill 693). Just days later (September 14th), Governor Rick Snyder announced his support for a non profit Health Insurance Exchange. Governor Snyder is a firm proponent of exchanges and favors them even if “Obama Care” should be repealed or found unconstitutional. However, passage of the bill in the Michigan House of Representatives (for Health Insurance Exchanges) does not look likely and will languish until “Obama Care” is ruled upon by the Federal Supreme Court. I would imagine that most House Republicans would not want to be on roll call for voting affirmatively for exchanges. The Federal Supreme Court has scheduled six hours for oral arguments March 26th-28th and will issue its decision by the end of June. Meanwhile, back in Lansing, the State of Michigan has received nearly $1 million dollars of federal money to study the feasibility of health insurance exchanges with the caveat being exchanges must be completed by the end of 2012 or Michigan would be forced to participate in a federal exchange.
Like in all politics, the saga continues…..stay tuned!