A looming deadline for federal Obamacare grants and action at the Supreme Court have put pressure on Illinois lawmakers to decide if they want to set up their own health exchange or continue to rely on the federal HealthCare.gov portal.
The issue will come up during the legislative session that begins Wednesday, The Associated Press reported, as Gov. Pat Quinn, a Democrat who supports a state-run exchange, gets set to make way for Republican Gov.-elect Bruce Rauner.
Mr. Rauner did not tell the AP which way he leans on the idea, but state lawmakers are trying to forge bipartisan agreement for the proposal.
They say $300 million in federal grant money will be off the table after the end of the year, so they need to decide on a state-run exchange now. But lawmakers also have to find a way to raise $50 million a year to operate a state-run exchange.
Also, the Supreme Court is set to rule this term on whether Obamacare’s subsidies can flow to every state or just the ones that set up their own health exchange. The Obama administration insists the law’s subsidies should go to every state, but states like Illinois might hedge their bets by setting up their own marketplace.
“It’s really critical for Illinois to act now,” Rep. Robyn Gabel, a Democrat, told the AP.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.