Alaska's healthcare decision: To exchange or not to exchange?

Health officials are now reviewing a consultant's report to decide how—and whether—Alaska should develop a Health Insurance Exchange, as required by the federal act. Alaska gained notoriety last year when it rejected federal planning funds for the creation of an exchange intended as an electronic marketplace for purchasing the new insurance that will be available as part of the act. A consultant working for the state has developed a report for the department on which it will likely base its decision on whether or not to proceed. Streur said that while an insurance exchange must be developed, it doesn’t say that Alaska itself must do it.