An Insurance Exchange for New York: [POLL]

Prospect Heights residents and other New Yorkers will have access to an online insurance exchange ahead of the 2014 dealine, thanks to Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The governor signed an executive order to open a health insurance exchange in New York State on Thursday, using funds incoming from the federal government as part of the Affordable Care Act.

Cuomo, according to the New York Times, had been urging the state legislature to begin the program for a year, but evidently got tired of waiting and kicked things off himself.

"The bottom line is that creating this health exchange will lower the cost of health insurance for small businesses, local governments, and individual New Yorkers across the state. The sky-high cost of insurance in New York is driving businesses out of the state and preventing lower income New Yorkers from being able to afford needed coverage," Cuomo said. “Establishing the health exchange will bring true competition into the health care marketplace, driving costs down across the state."

Under President Obama's Affordable Care Act state are required to create an insurance exchange by 2014. In cases where the states don't comply, the federal government would step in and create the exchanges.

State Senate Republicans argued that approving the exchange would come across as condoning the Affordable Care Act and said nothing should be done until after the Supreme Court challenge to the law is resovled, according to the Times. 

According to a recently released national report, the need for affordable healthcare seemed particularly acute for densely populated urban centers like Brooklyn.

In the survey, Kings County ranked 54th out of 62 counties in New York State in terms of health.

What do you think? Does New York State need an insurance exchange? Will the state even get the promised funds if all or portions of the Affordable Care Act get overturned by the Supreme Court?

Tell us what you think. Vote in the poll below and share your thoughts in the comments.

Matthew Hampton and Paul Leonard contributed reporting.