Lawmakers to hear update on health insurance exchange

By CATHERINE WELCH

PROVIDENCE, RI – Lawmakers will get an status update Wednesday on the state's online marketplace for health insurance. The Ocean State has made significant progress on what's called the health insurance exchange.

The health insurance exchange is an online market place where people can shop for health insurance. The nation's health care overhaul requires states to either offer their own exchange or opt in to a federal version.

Many states have made little or no progress on building their health care exchanges as they wait to see if the Supreme Court upholds the health care law, but Rhode Island has moved forward with building the marketplace. It's currently the only state in the country to get a second level of federal funding to start setting up an exchange.

Lawmakers will hear what organizers have done so far at a 2:30 hearing at the statehouse Wednesday afternoon.

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