Dayton requesting $42 million for health exchange
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Gov. Mark Dayton is asking the federal government for additional money to develop Minnesota's health insurance exchange required under President Obama's Affordable Care Act.
Republican lawmakers have criticized Dayton's push forward with the exchange and stayed out of its development. The Democratic governor tells lawmakers in a letter dated Thursday that his administration will wait to make any final decisions on the exchange until after the November election.
Dayton says he wants another $42.5 million to build the exchange in the meantime as a January 2013 certification deadline approaches. The governor says the state is required to give the federal government an initial plan on how the Minnesota exchange would operate by Nov. 16.
Minnesota Public Radio News reports the governor says Minnesota has already been given $28.5 million to design and develop the exchange.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.