Obamacare Runs Aground in Mississippi

Talking Points Memo's Sahil Kapur on how the prospects of a state-run exchange are dimming in Mississippi:

The core division lies between Republican Gov. Phil Bryant, who took office one year ago and is determined to stonewall the implementation of Obamacare, and state Commissioner of Insurance Mike Chaney, who believes that building an exchange as encouraged by the health care law is the right way to go.

That division is now on display: the Obama administration this week rejected Mississippi’s application for a state-based exchange, filed by Chaney against his governor’s wishes — and blamed Bryant.

The exchanges, authorized under the Affordable Care Act, are one-stop marketplaces for consumers aimed at making the purchase of health insurance as easy as buying a book on Amazon.com. The idea is rooted in conservative market-based principles, but Republicans argue that the regulations under Obamacare provide them too little flexibility. If a state declines to build an exchange, the law requires the federal government to craft one for them.