More states working with feds on exchanges than expected

A new report from the PricewaterCooperhouse Health Research Institute anticipates more states than originally expected will be working with the federal government to implement the required health insurance exchange web-based shopping portal.

The report found 13 states and the District of Columbia will be running their own exchanges, selecting specific benefits to be guaranteed and making other decisions. The majority of the remaining 37 states will likely have the federal government running their websites, while they still have the option of working cooperatively with federal agencies to launch the portals. Eight of the remaining states have already selected to have the federal government maintain the exchange, while three plan to work side-by-side with the Obama administration.

Through the deployment of the health insurance exchanges, the states have to make two key decisions by a November deadline: Whether to expand Medicaid coverage to residents and how to launch the portal to meet their needs. By 2014, an expected 12 million Americans will seek health insurance coverage through their states' online exchanges, illustrating the magnitude of the project nationwide.