Confusion, Concern in Olympia About Health-Exchange Budget – By The Associated Press, featured in The Seattle Times
The chairman of the state House Appropriations Committee has a message for the people who run the Washington health-care exchange: Tell us exactly how you’re spending the taxpayers’ money or you won’t get any more state dollars to spend.
“Right now the Legislature isn’t happy,” said Rep. Ross Hunter, D-Medina.
Officials at the Health Benefit Exchange have been too vague on their budget request to satisfy Hunter and other lawmakers from both parties and both the Senate and the House.
But Hunter assumes it’s more a learning curve about how much detail the Legislature needs than obfuscation.
Until now, the state has relied mostly on federal dollars to set up its operation.
Part of the problem is the exchange budget is dependent on information that won’t be available until after health-insurance open enrollment ends this Sunday.
