WASHINGTON, July 31 -- The National Association of Insurance Commissioners issued the following news release:

National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) President and Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin M. McCarty and Sandy Praeger, Chair of the NAIC Health Insurance and Managed Care Committee and Kansas Insurance Commissioner, today issued the following joint statement:

"It is well established that the NAIC has no position on the Affordable Care Act (ACA), nor the type of health exchange implemented in the individual states. A recent media report about the implementation of health exchanges citing NAIC comments regarding state regulatory authority deserves clarification. States have full authority to establish their own exchanges, partner with the federal government, or defer to the federal government. Although the ACA sets forth minimum standards, the states have the opportunity to regulate and enforce their own market rules, including rate and form approval. The NAIC continues to advocate for maximum state authority and flexibility for those states implementing ACA."

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