The US Departments of Health and Human Services and Treasury has awarded $185m to 13 states and the District of Columbia in a move to go ahead with building Affordable Insurance Exchanges.
In March 2010, President Barack Obama had signed the Affordable Care Act to establish Affordable Insurance Exchanges that will allow eligible individuals, families, and small businesses to choose private health insurance plan beginning 2014.
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has said that the department has laid out options and resources that were available to states for setting up exchanges. The options have been sent for approval from governors.
Treasury has said that it has also proposed three rules for a simple, streamlined, and affordable path for consumers to use the Exchanges to purchase private health insurance.
HHS had awarded 49 states and the District of Columbia $50m in 2010 to begin planning their Exchanges and expects more grant awards in the coming months.
The Administration will also conduct campaigns for feed back from employers, consumers, state leaders, health care providers and insurers, and the American people on the three proposed rules. The proposed rules may be modified as per the feedback.