States Free To Exceed Health Care Law's Standards

Individual states can go choose to exceed the standards provided by the health care reform law, according to Brian Webb, the Manager for Health Policy and Legislation with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

“What this law does is establish a minimum federal floor. It basically says ‘Here’s the level of protection we are going to ensure every citizen of the United States has,’” Webb said during a press briefing Monday with the organization the Alliance for Health Reform.

Webb added that states are free to determine how healthcare is distributed, as long as the federal standards are met.

The bill, which was signed into law in late March, is still in the process of being implemented across the country. States will have until 2014 to comply with federal standards.

- Rob Sanna, Talk Radio News Service