By Jeremy Duda
Arizona Capitol Times
Gov. Jan Brewer’s decision to forgo a state-based health insurance exchange headed off a potential battle in the Legislature, but that fight may not be over for good.
Under the Affordable Care Act, states have the option of running their own insurance exchanges, having the federal government run them, or operating them in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Those decisions, however, are not permanent, and states have the option of switching from one to another at any time.
Brewer shut the door on a state-based exchange that most observers believe had little, if any, chance of getting through the Legislature in the first place. But advocates of a state-run model are hoping that things will be different in the future.
The exchanges are online marketplaces where individuals and businesses will be able purchase health insurance coverage.
