Arkansas now moves toward state-based Obamacare exchange

By Nic Horton | The Arkansas Project

Last week, the D.C. circuit court ruled in Halbig v. Burwell that Obamacare subsidies cannot flow into state that are participating in the federally-run exchange. If the ruling holds (it will almost certainly be appealed), this could be a game changer for the federal health care law: currently, only 14 states have state-run exchanges and, according to the ruling, are eligible for premium subsidies. The question is, will the 36 states that are in the federal exchange now move to state exchanges so their citizens can receive premium subsidies from taxpayers?

Arkansas currently has a “federally-facilitate [sic] Marketplace Partnership (FFM),” according to Insurance Department spokeswoman Heather Haywood. Haywood says this qualifies as a federal exchange. Based on the logic of Halbig, Arkansans are not eligible to receive Obamacare subsidies.

at The Arkansas Project.