Administration officials said “exchange” didn’t effectively convey to the public what they were for, whereas “marketplace” conjures up a more vivid image of shopping and dealing with vendors.
The marketplaces, established in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, require each state to have a site that can be operated by the state, the federal government or in partnership between the two bodies. Nearly all Republican governors have denounced operating their own insurance marketplaces, but others have said doing so gives them greater control over the plans that are offered on the sites.
The marketplaces will go live Jan. 1, 2014.
More Articles on Health Insurance Exchanges:
CO-OPs Urge HHS to Restore Funding
Health Insurers Project Exchange Participation
HHS Grants $1.5B to Build 11 States’ Health Insurance Exchanges
