The National Governors Association (NGA) on Wednesday named six states selected to participate in NGA retreats to help the states technically prepare for health insurance exchanges.

According to NGA, the retreats are customized to address each state’s unique circumstances. The states selected to participate are Alabama, Illinois, Kentucky, Nevada, Utah and Washington.
 
States have just a short time left to make many decisions about establishing the health insurance exchanges mandated by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Regardless of whether a state is considering a state-based exchange, a federal exchange or a partnership, a wide range of cross-agency planning and discussion must take place to meet the 2013 deadline established by the ACA, say NGA officials.

[See also: NGA chooses two governors to lead State Alliance for e-Health.]
 
Each state’s retreat will provide a full day for health officials to work together to determine strategy, work through tasks related to planning and implementing an exchange and identify key issues to be decided by the state's governor.

Teams will work with nationally recognized experts in health policy and exchange development during an individualized day-long retreat in the team’s home state. Follow-up consultations with NGA staff will also be scheduled.
 
“NGA is happy to provide this technical assistance opportunity to states,” said NGA Executive Director Dan Crippen. “It is important for states to have the tools they need as they begin working toward implementation of the Affordable Care Act.”

[See also: HHS allots $241M for state insurance exchange IT.]

More on the NGA and state health insurance exchanges can be found here.
 
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