If Congress "shuts down" the federal government, will the public exchanges open on time?
State and federal officials say yes. They believe enrollment can open, on schedule, and operate normally for a while even if the federal government has to function without "enacted annual budget appropriations."
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, an arm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is in charge of overseeing state efforts to set up state-based exchanges. It's also in charge of federal efforts to run exchanges in states letting the feds do the job.
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According to an HHS 2014 contingency plan, CMS activities — including components of PPACA exchange implementation — would continue "largely without disruption." HHS has put those activities in a category for "activities that involve the safety of human life and protection of property."
HHS has given implementing PPACA a higher priority than the annual seasonal flu program, outbreak detection and senior nutrition programs.
Officials at the locally run exchanges in Oregon and the District of Columbia said they weren't aware of any issues related to the federal budget fight that would affect exchange operations.
Similarly, in North Dakota, a state with an HHS-run exchange, officials said they hadn't heard anything about the possibility that a shutdown would delay the launch of the exchange program in their state.
At Health Republic Insurance of New York – one of the new nonprofit, member-owned cooperatives created by PPACA– spokeswoman Katie James said they always planned to sell coverage both on and off the state's exchange.
Health Republic Insurance of New York will be open for business (Tuesday), James said.
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Allison Bell
Allison Bell, a senior reporter at ThinkAdvisor and BenefitsPRO, previously was an associate editor at National Underwriter Life & Health. She has a bachelor's degree in economics from Washington University in St. Louis and a master's degree in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. She can be reached through X at @Think_Allison.
