August 12th, 2011 – This week Kansas returned $31.5 million to the US Department of Health and Human Services in protest of the US Health Reform law. Kansas was the second state to do so, following Oklahoma.
Kathleen Sebelius, who was appointed by President Obama to head the US Department of Health and Human is a former Governor of Kansas.
Both state’s Republican governors led the movements to return the money. The money was meant to help state’s establish Health Insurance Exchanges that consumers and small businesses could use to purchase insurance through, starting in 2014.
While the move is clearly politically motivated it may lead to those states surrendering control of their exchanges to the Federal Government, who will implement Health Insurance Exchanges for those states that are unwilling or unable to set up their own exchanges by 2014.
Experts warn that many states are falling far behind schedule for a smooth and timely roll-out of the reform. Colorado appears to be on track with its own Health Insurance Exchange.
