HHS announces $1.5B for state exchanges

The federal health department announced $1.5 billion in new grants Thursday for states to continue building their insurance exchanges under the Affordable Care Act.

California, Delaware, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Oregon and Vermont received funding — either one-or multi-year awards based on their progress in creating the marketplaces.

"These states are working to implement the healthcare law and we continue to support them as they build new affordable insurance marketplaces," said Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in a statement. 

"Starting in 2014, Americans in all states will have access to quality, affordable health insurance and these grants are helping to make that a reality."

Health insurance exchanges are the central component of President Obama's healthcare law, allowing consumers to shop for coverage in an online system that accounts for their eligibility for tax credits.

According to HHS, 49 states have received grants to plans their marketplaces while 34 have received awards to begin constructing them.

Federal health officials have extended deadlines for equivocating states to decide whether to run their own exchanges, cede the task to HHS, or form a partnership.

"To ensure states have the support and time they need to build a marketplace, states may apply for grants through the end of 2014 and may use funds through their start-up year," HHS said Thursday.

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