In an attempt to remedy the growing financial pressures on state-run exchanges, the Obama administration on Friday proposed a new type of partnership between state and federal marketplaces, according to The Hill.
Under the new partnership, called "stated-based exchange on the federal platform," states could use federal resources such as call centers or website platforms while maintaining their autonomy.
In its proposed rules, HHS wrote that the model would enable states to "leverage economies of scale" while "retain[ing] responsibility for plan management functions," according to The Hill.
The proposed rule comes at a tumultuous time for many of the 13 state-run exchanges because beginning next year they will see cuts to millions of federal dollars supporting the exchanges. Some states have been quietly considering merging their healthcare exchanges amid concerns of cost and viability. Several states have looked into a technology-sharing system, in which multiple state health departments would hire the same private contractor, according to The Hill.