Deal creates Georgia Health Insurance Exchange Advisory Committee: Committee will study the establishment of a state-based health care exchange

Gov. Nathan Deal today signed an executive order creating the Georgia Health Insurance Exchange Advisory Committee. The committee will determine if Georgia should establish a state-based health care exchange under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Georgia has joined 25 other states in a lawsuit declaring the individual mandate, a key component of PPACA, unconstitutional.

“I want Georgia to have time to thoroughly study this issue as we wait for the judicial process to play out,” said Deal. “I want to engage Georgians about how we can expand access to health care insurance while lowering the burdensome costs on our state’s families. Georgians don’t want more federal ‘solutions’ and the best way to fight back right now is to manufacture a Georgia solution.

“It is my hope that this committee will construct the appropriate avenues for our state to implement our own exchange, based on delivering free market solutions for increasing the access and affordability of health insurance. This exchange should also focus heavily on improving the economic viability of creating and expanding small business in Georgia. I look forward to hearing the committee’s recommendations.”

Under PPACA, the states have until Jan. 1, 2014 to establish their own health care exchange. If Georgia does not create a state-run exchange by this time the federal government will establish and manage the exchange. The governor’s executive order states that the advisory committee must report its final recommendations by Dec. 15, 2011.

As U.S. Congressman, Deal was the first member of the House to declare the PPACA unconstitutional.

The members who will serve on the advisory committee are as follows:

Sen. Greg Goggans (R-Douglas)

Rep. Richard H. Smith (R-Columbus)

Rep. John Meadows (R-Calhoun)

Rep. Pat Gardner (D-Atlanta)

Rep. Josh Clark (R-Buford)

Morgan  Kendrick, CEO, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Georgia

Albert C. Ertel, Chief Operating Officer, Alliant Health Plans

Russell B. Childers, Jr., insurance broker, Georgia Assoc. of Health Underwriters

Rick Bailey, insurance broker, Rick Bailey & Company, Inc.

Cindy Zeldin, Executive Director, Georgians for a Healthy Future

Julianne Thompson, TEA Party

Ed Painter, grassroots representative                                 

Phil Brown, Vice President Human Resources, Mohawk Industries, Inc.

Jimmy Childre, Georgia Chamber of Commerce                                 

Kyle Jackson, National Federation of Independent Businesses                                 

R. Timothy Stack, President and CEO, Piedmont Healthcare

Alan Levine, HMA Hospital Corporation

Ricardo Azziz, CEO, MCG

Ron Bachman, President and CEO, Healthcare Vision, Inc                      

W.  David Bradford, Ph.D., Busbee Chair in Public Policy at the University of Georgia

Lynn Zonakis, Managing Director for Health Strategy and Resources, Delta Airlines

Gerry Purcell, health insurance consultant

State officials:

Pat Wilson, Chief Operating Officer, Department of Economic Development

Ralph Hudgens, Insurance Commissioner 

David Cook, Commissioner, Department of Community Health