Alaska health insurance exchange

State steadfast in opposition to exchange

By Carla Anderson
healthinsurance.org contributor

Alaska is the only state that refused all federal funding to evaluate and implement a health insurance exchange, and is one of eight states that has decided that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will run its exchange.

Republican Gov. Sean Parnell made the announcement in July 2012. He said setting up an exchange would be expensive, given the uncertainty as to how the exchange should be implemented. He also said as a federal mandate, the exchange should be financed by federal dollars. A study by Public Consulting Group, a consultant hired by the state, estimated the cost of implementing an Alaska exchange as $6.7 million. The same study estimated that 77,000 people would gain health insurance through the exchange.

Updated Nov. 5, 2012

More Alaska health insurance exchange links

State Exchange Profile: Alaska
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation overview of Alaska’s progress toward creating a state health insurance exchange.

Final Report: State of Alaska Department of Health and Social Services Health Insurance Exchange Planning

Affordable Care Act in Your State: Alaska