The health reform law known as the Affordable Care Act requires states to establish a health insurance exchange or allow the federal government to operate one in the state.

An exchange will function as an online marketplace where consumers can compare and buy insurance coverage. The exchange also helps identify people who qualify for Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program or other forms of financial assistance and helps them receive that aid.

This brief — the third in a series about the impact of health reform in Kansas — examines the aspects of the new law that are related to a health insurance exchange and how the exchange will change the way some Kansans obtain health insurance.