November 16, 2012: In a letter to Republican governors, US Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius yesterday gave states until December 14, 2012, to submit a letter of intent to establish a state-based exchange, giving them an extra month to decide.
Last week, Secretary Sebelius notified states that the deadline to submit blueprints for state-based insurance exchanges had been extended from November 16, 2012 to December 14, 2012. However, the letter of intent deadline was unchanged, at November 16th.
At the time of Secretary Sebelius's most recent declaration, eight states remained undecided about whether to establish a state-based exchange.
States that plan to pursue an exchange operated jointly by the state and HHS (i.e., a "State Partnership Exchange") can submit letters of intent and blueprint applications until Febraurary 15, 2013. States that opt to do neither a state-based exchange nor a partnership exchange will cede their exchange entirely to the federal government.