Michigan Will Join Federal Healthcare Exchange

The Michigan Senate began its two-week spring break Thursday without voting on whether to accept federal funds to develop a jointly run Internet site for people to shop for insurance.

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Credit WKAR File Photo

As The Michigan Public Radio Network's Rick Pluta, reports this was Governor Rick Snyder’s deadline for the Senate to act.

Republicans in the state Senate defied the wishes of Governor Snyder and a lot of business groups by refusing federal funding for a joint-federal state health insurance exchange. That’s where customers will go to comparison shop for coverage. Instead, Michigan customers will have to shop on the federal government’s exchange.

State Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville says he considers the question pretty much dead.

   “At this point in time, I’m starting to look at other things on the agenda”  he says.

Governor Snyder says even without the federal funds, the state will still have to spend about eight million dollars to create the portal for Michigan customers to connect to the federal exchange.