NJ Senate Approves an Obamacare 'Health Exchange,' But Future Uncertain
TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) -- The New Jersey State Senate has approved an online "health insurance exchange" to comply with one of the requirements of "Obamacare."
The program, which barely passed, sets up a board to approve health plans to be offered to citizens. There would also be a pool set up for small businesses to get coverage for their workers.
That's not to say the program will go into effect, though. It still must pass the Assembly before moving on to Gov. Chris Christie, who has until November 16th -- ten days after the presidential election -- to act on it.
"Our options are to, essentially, do nothing and allow the federal government to come in and set up an exchange, to do so by executive action, or to adopt one by statute that the legislature has passed," says Christie spokesman Kevin Roberts.
And apparently Christie is in no hurry to decide. He vetoed an earlier version of the bill, opting to wait for the US Supreme Court to issue its ruling last June that Obamacare was constitutional.
