Hope Files Bill to Create State-Federal Health Insurance Exchange
Arlington Democrat believes Republican leadership will accept partnership sooner or later.
State Del. Patrick Hope, D-Arlington, has filed a bill in the General Assembly that, if passed, would allow the state to work in partnership with the federal government to create a health benefit exchange. Establishing an exchange — essentially, an online marketplace where people can access information and purchase insurance — has been controversial in Virginia and other states where the leadership has been opposed to implementing the Affordable Care Act. Small businesses also can choose to use the exchange. Proponents like Hope say an estimated 500,000 people in Virginia will either gain access to healthcare or a better plan than they currently have. Under the law, families making up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level — about $92…
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