Wisconsin Won't Create a Health Exchange

Federal rules are so strict it's not worth bothering, says Gov. Walker

MADISON — Wisconsin won't proceed with forming its own state-run health-insurance exchange, but will use the federal government's instead, Gov. Scott Walker says.

Friday was supposed to be the deadline for states to tell the federal government what kind of exchange they intended to pursue, but the deadline was extended for another month.

Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which critics have dubbed "Obamacare," each state has to set up its own exchange — essentially an online marketplace for health insurance — rely on an exchange being designed at the federal level, or form a partnership in which the state performs some functions on behalf of the federal government.