Gov. Nathan Deal today signed an executive order creating the Georgia Health Insurance Exchange Advisory Committee. The committee will determine if Georgia should establish a state-based health care exchange under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Georgia has joined 25 other states in a lawsuit declaring the individual mandate, a key component of PPACA, unconstitutional.

“I want Georgia to have time to thoroughly study this issue as we wait for the judicial process to play out,” said Deal. “I want to engage Georgians about how we can expand access to health care insurance while lowering the burdensome costs on our state’s families. Georgians don’t want more federal ‘solutions’ and the best way to fight back right now is to manufacture a Georgia solution.

“It is my hope that this committee will construct the appropriate avenues for our state to implement our own exchange, based on delivering free market solutions for increasing the access and affordability of health insurance.This exchange should also focus heavily on improving the economic viability of creating and expanding small business in Georgia. I look forward to hearing the committee’s recommendations.”

Under PPACA, the states have until Jan. 1, 2014 to establish their own health care exchange. If Georgia does not create a state-run exchange by this time the federal government will establish and manage the exchange. The governor’s executive order states that the advisory committee must report its final recommendations by Dec. 15, 2011.

As U.S. Congressman, Deal was the first member of the House to declare the PPACA unconstitutional.